The Revenge and Redemption of Steele
by The Cool Kat
Summary: After accidentally running into his father's old enemy, Steele, Kodi and his wife Dusty are faced with two choices, suffer the malamute's wrath like his father used to, or try to help the bitter sled dog turn his life around. Collaboration fic with Kodiwolf231. Rated T for action, swearing, and adult themes. Contains both gay and straight slash pairings.
1. Chapter 1

_**Introduction:**_

Hi, I'm the Cool Kat, and this is my latest Balto story, "_**The Revenge and Redemption of Steele**_". I actually planned to post this sooner (and post more than four chapters today), but if you've been watching the news (local, regional, worldwide, the Weather Channel, it really doesn't matter), then you've heard about Hurricane Isaac. Mississippi was struck head on, and all hell broke loose in my part of the Magnolia State. It's true what they say, you can plan for a lot of things, but you can't plan for the weather. Because of the two-day blackout (yes, just two days, thankfully Smithdale, MS is landlocked), I've had to push things back by a few days. These are the first four, spell-checked chapters. The next few will be posted next week.

Anyway, I'm gonna tell you how this story came to be. In March 2012, my good friend Kodiwolf321 sent me a PM saying that he'd been a having a bad case of writer's block since last fall, and that he'd like to work with me on writing a new story. Having suffered through the dreaded writer's block myself for three months, I know that it can be a real bitch. Plus it was a chance to work with one of my best online friends on my first collaboration fic. So how could I say no? After a month and a half of brainstorming, this is what we came up with - a story where Balto's son meets his father's old enemy. Kodiak is one of Kodiwolf321's favorite characters to write for, and Steele is mine, so hopefully our two ideas will blend together well, and you'll like what you read.

In this story, Balto's son, Kodi, is just beginning his new life with his girlfriend Dusty, and is finally fulfilling his dream of following in his father's footsteps. But a routine sled run goes horribly wrong for Kodi when he accidentally runs into his father's old enemy, Steele, who still holds resentment against Balto for winning Jenna's heart. Will Kodi and Dusty suffer Steele's wrath, or will they find a way to help the veteran sled dog find peace and redemption?

Just like all my stories, there's no onscreen sex, just a few jokes and innuendos (plus a really steamy conversation between Steele and an OC in chapter 2). But there is plenty of swearing (mostly on Steele's part, bad guys are always notoriously vulgar), and a guy-on-guy kiss scene later on. Don't freak out, it's not between Kodi and Steele (Steele's way too old, and Kodi is straighter than a bow and arrow). It's just between Steele and an OC.

Steele has always been portrayed as a womanizer in almost all the Balto fics I've found on this site, and he mostly screws around with female dogs on his team. That's all well and good, and it fits Steele's personality quite well. But I couldn't help but notice that in the movie, all the dogs on his team are male. So I wondered about the possibility of writing a story where Steele is bisexual. To be honest, I've been wanting to explore Steele's sexuality for a while now, and this story was a good a chance as ever, since it's the first one I've written where Steele is a main character, and not just a supporting villain who appears in and out of the story sporadically.

So to sum it up, this story isn't a gay fanfic, but it's not exactly a straight one either, it's sorta in-between (which is actually pretty appropriate, since this story was a collaboration between a gay author and a straight one). So if you're under 13, or if two guys kissing is not your style, I suggest you turn back now while you're still reading these author's notes.

And before we start, I'd like to inform you about one last thing so you don't get confused later on. This is a standalone fic, and is of no way connected to my "_**Heritage of the Wolf**_" series, even though some of the plot lines may seem similar. And even though this is my first Balto story since last October, I still won't be releasing "_**Salvation, Part 3**_" for a few more weeks (again, the storm has pushed me back me a few days). So if there are any recurring readers out there reading this, like Kodiwolf231 for example, I'd like thank you all for being so patient. And believe me, I'm just as excited as you are about finally wrapping up the Salvation trilogy (in the meantime, there's still my Kung Fu Panda fic, "_**Erdan 2: A Father's Love**_"). And now that my boring author's notes are out of the way, on with the story!

**((()-()))**

_**Chapter 1: One Doors Closes, Another One Opens.**_

_February 15, 1925._

In the town of Nome, Alaska, the villagers rejoiced. It had been over a week since the serum run, and many of the children had been allowed to return home with their families. Dozens of innocent lives had been saved from a slow and painful demise, all thanks to one heroic wolf-dog named Balto. However, not everyone was happy this weekend. In fact, one musher named Roger Greensborough had a very sour expression on his face as he angrily quizzed his friend.

"You'd better have a very good reason for calling us all here Kaasen", Roger grumbled impatiently. The middle aged musher was currently sitting in Gunnar Kaasen's backyard for the same reason all his friends and colleagues were, they had been summoned to Kaasen's house by the musher himself, for some secret reason.

Roger Greensborough was one of Gunnar's best friends. He had known the musher for years now, and they had worked alongside each other several times. In fact, Roger had regretted for weeks that he wasn't the one who got to deliver the antitoxin to Nome. He had known how dangerous the conditions were, and those 48 hours he had spent thinking his friend was dead was one of the worst weekends of his life. But now that Gunnar was back in Nome, and very much alive, Roger was beginning to remember how annoying the man could be.

"I do", Gunnar promised the impatient musher, but Roger only rolled his eyes in response.

Gunnar walked to the front of his yard, and gazed at all ten of his guests. Ten mushers, most of them around the same age of his him, were sitting in wicker lawn chairs, still unaware of why Gunnar had called them there.

Gunnar sighed, and cleared his throat, before speaking up again. "As you all know, last week Balto found me and my team, and managed to bring us all back to Nome unharmed", Gunnar began. Everyone nodded their head, and the musher continued.

"But Steele was the only dog not present with us when I woke up. The other townspeople all say that he wasn't with the team when we rode into Nome either. Which meant that he somehow got free from his harness, and abandoned his teammates in the wild", Gunnar explained, having to practically force himself to continue.

"Yesterday, I found Steele hiding underneath my house, where he had apparently been staying since last week. He must found his way back to Nome before we did, and took refuge under the house", Gunnar surmised.

"But as you know, when you're out in the woods, having to depend on your dogs for survival, your team must be loyal. If just one member rebels or abandons his position, the whole team would fall apart. And no dog's choices are more important than those of the lead dog. Now, I know he's just a dog, but Steele's decision almost cost the whole town their lives. We got lucky, Balto was here to save us this time, but we… I can't afford for something like to happen again", Gunnar said hesitantly.

All of Gunnar's guests nodded their heads, obviously agreeing with the musher, but still confused as to what they had to do with anything.

Gunnar sighed one last time, and then whistled loudly, causing most of his guests to clap their hands to their ears for protection. Acting on cue, a large black and white malamute slowly padded his way onto Gunnar's lawn, obviously nervous about something.

The gathered men's eyes all widened in surprise as they recognized the dog. They had seen him before hundreds of times. In fact, everyone in Nome who the dog was. Gunnar Kaasen's lead dog, Steele - the musher's pride and joy. He had been winning races for the musher for five years now, and quickly became one of the most famous dogs in Alaska.

But the Steele they saw before them now was a different dog than the one they were used to seeing. Instead of walking with pride in his step and his head held high, Steele now kept his head low to the ground while he walked, and his tail tucked between his legs. It was almost like the shunned dog was ashamed of his actions. But that was impossible. After all, it was only just a dumb dog - wasn't it? There was no way he could understand his master was disappointed in him, could he?

Once Steele had walked up to his side, Gunnar looked back towards his guests, a rueful look in the musher's eyes. "The reason I called you all here is because I'm selling Steele and finding a new lead dog. But I don't want to sell him to some stranger that will only treat him like trash. No, I want Steele's new owner to be someone I trust, someone I can count on to treat him like family. The reason I called you all here is because you're my best friends, and I'm asking one of you to buy Steele from me", Gunnar explained.

Everyone gasped, as they realized what the musher was saying. Gunnar was actually selling Steele, his prize dog. And not only that, but he was giving one of them the opportunity to buy Steele before anyone else found out. The offer was very tempting, and many of Gunnar's guests looked like they wanted to say something, but they still refrained. After all, Steele used to be worth a lot of money, and used to be considered a valuable addition to any team. But that was before he abandoned his teammates and almost caused the serum run to fail. Gunnar had said it himself, Steele was too unreliable. And if he had been willing to abandon his own musher and let him die, who's to say he wouldn't just do the same to them?

A full minute passed, and Gunnar sighed. It seemed he was wrong - nobody here was willing to take a chance with Steele. Not that he could really blame them. He would just have to think of something else. But before Gunnar could say something, he was suddenly cut off by Roger.

"Gunnar, I'm gonna be honest with you. I've trained a lot of dogs over the years, and even I think Steele is a downright coward. But I've also known you for over a decade now, and I trust your decisions. And if you think I can be trusted to retrain Steele, I'll pay you fifty dollars right now to take him off your hands", Roger spoke, before the musher reached into his pocket and extracted a $50 bill.

Gunnar smiled, and nodded his head in agreement. He knew that if anyone could be trusted to take good care of his dog, it was Roger.

Gunnar pulled a leash out of his coat pocket, and tied it around Steele's neck. Gunnar looked into Steele's eyes, and the two shared a somber look. Gunnar had a sold many of his sled dogs over the years, and it had always been hard for him. Because unlike most dogs, Gunnar considered his dogs to be like his family. "Goodbye boy. I hope you're happy where you're going. Wherever you're going", Gunnar whispered.

Steele only whimpered in reply.

**((()-()))**

_February 18, 1925._

Several days later, Steele sucked in his chest, as the saddened malamute waited for the lead harness to be hooked around his neck. After buying Steele from Gunnar, Roger had decided he and his team would travel across Alaska, helping with any other Diphtheria cases that might outbreak. This was both a good thing and a bad thing for Steele.

On one hand, he'd finally get to leave Nome and start over somewhere else. He would no longer have to worry about dogs judging him for his failure in the serum run. But on the other hand, leaving Nome also meant he'd have to leave behind Jenna, the love of his life. All he had ever wanted was for Jenna to be his, but it seemed fate had other plans for them. Maybe love didn't always conquer all.

As Steele watched Roger tie the sled harness around his new teammates, the malamute growled impatiently. If he was going to have his heart torn out, he wanted to have it done quick and over with soon.

Steele glanced around the empty street. The humans were all inside their houses, tending to their recovering children. The only living things walking the streets of Nome was the townspeople's pets. Cats and dogs from all across town watched as Steele prepared to leave Nome forever. Some looked sad, some looked glad, some looked angry, some looked disappointed, and some of their expressions were unreadable.

Steele was about to hang his head down in shame, when he noticed one familiar dog watching him from afar. Jenna, the rust and cream colored husky he had been pursuing for five years now. She had obviously come to watch him leave, like the others. But unlike the others, she didn't look angry or happy. Instead the female husky's expression was a mixture of emotions. From what Steele could make out, she almost looked regretful, like she pitied the malamute for what he had done. Maybe she really did love him like he loved her.

But before Steele could even begin to get his hopes up, his broken heart was ripped into a million more pieces, as he recognized the brownish-gray dog standing next to his beloved. Balto, his worst enemy. The wolf-dog who had ruined his life for him. If Steele had had any thoughts about controlling himself, they quickly disappeared when he saw Balto place his paw on Jenna's shoulder to comfort her. How dare that wolf-dog have the nerve, the sheer _audacity_ to think he could place his filthy mitts on his girl?!

The malamute snarled, and bolted down the street, breaking lose of his ranking before Roger could place the lead harness on him. Steele's rebellious outburst wasn't a logical reaction or even a conscious decision. He had acted purely on impulse. He was feeling a fiery hatred inside him. A primal and savage need for revenge.

He wanted Balto to feel the pain the half-wolf had caused him. He wanted to snap the hybrid's neck. He wanted to rip Balto apart and feast on the wolf-dog's remains until there was nothing left. All dogs were descended were wolves, even Steele, and at that moment, Steele felt more like his wild ancestors than he ever had before.

As they saw Steele approaching, obviously intent on attacking them, Balto and Jenna's eyes widened. "Jenna get behind me", Balto ordered, before placing his arm in front of Jenna to protect her.

"No, this has gone on long enough", Jenna argued, swatting Balto's arm away with her own paw. Despite Balto's best attempts to stop her, Jenna managed to break free of his grip, and put herself in the way of Steele's path. "Steele, stop!", she shouted.

As soon as he saw her get in his way, Steele slammed on his brakes, and somehow managed to skid to a stop before he collided with the husky. Steele growled, as he realized Jenna was trying to protect the half-breed. He should have known she'd try and help the lobo.

"Get out of my way Jen", Steele growled, having to struggle to control himself. He could have easily pushed Jenna out of his way, or simply went around the stubborn husky. It would have been far too easy to take Jenna out of the equation and unleash his full fury on the wolf-dog behind her. But it went against Steele's moral code to hit females. He may have been a heartless bastard, but he had still been raised right by his father.

"No", Jenna replied, her voice hard and firm. The husky was hardly scared of Steele, no matter how angry he got at her. She had tangled with the malamute before, and she knew he wouldn't hurt her.

Balto ran up to Jenna's side, and placed his paw on the husky's shoulder again. "Jenna, just get out of here! It's too dangerous!", Balto pleaded desperately.

"No! All this senseless fighting has been going on for five years! _Five years_ Balto! If we don't stop it now, it'll never end!", Jenna reasoned, taking her eyes off Steele for the first time.

Steele snarled, and stepped a few feet closer, this time his scowl focused on Balto. "Get your paws off her!", the malamute shouted. He had just seen Balto place his paws on Jenna's shoulder again, and the sickening sight had brought back all that anger he had felt before.

But before Balto could reply, Jenna growled at him again. "Steele, enough! I'm not your girlfriend and I'm not some prize to be won! I'm allowed to make my own choices!", Jenna shouted.

"But don't you see Jenna?! I love you! I aways have! You could have a much happier life with me than you ever could with that wolf-dog!", Steele argued.

Jenna scoffed. "You only wanted me so you could mate with me, like you have with all the girls in Nome. That isn't love Steele, that's just lust!", Jenna scowled.

"If I only wanted you for your body, then I could have just taken you by force years ago. I could have raped you, and claimed you slept with me. But I didn't, and I never would. Because I love you for you Jen! I love your beauty. I love how you make me laugh. I love how you treat your owners right. I love how you never held a grudge against me, no matter how badly I punished that mutt over there", Steele argued.

Jenna scoffed again, while Balto fought back a growl on his own. Neither dog knew what to make of Steele's words. Could he really be in love Jenna? Did he really want a real relationship with the husky, instead of just some quick sex? While the thought was highly unlikely, Jenna did notice something that swayed her previous thoughts about Steele. For the first time in his life, the malamute sounded honest. Like he really meant what he was saying. Whenever was Steele was lying, Jenna could always see through the malamute's tales a mile away. But these words were coming straight from the heart instead of the brain.

Jenna gazed at Steele, and her angry expression slowly vanished. Instead, it was replaced with a sad. A very sad look, one filled with pity and regret. "Steele, is that true?", she asked.

"You bet your life it's true", Steele said firmly, his anger towards Balto finally fading. While he and Jenna were looking each other in the eyes, the malamute forgot all about the wolf-dog, and Roger, and the team of angry, pissed-off sled dogs that were standing only a few feet away. The only two people on the street were him and Jenna. The only two people in the world that mattered at that moment.

Steele watched as Jenna hung her head down, obviously thinking about what she would say next. The malamute's heart beated a thousand times per minute, as hope swelled up in his chest. Jenna finally knew how he really he felt. Maybe, just maybe, there was finally a chance for them to be together. Maybe she would finally leave that wild mutt and be with her real soulmate.

After thinking for another minute, Jenna finally lifted her head up, though the husky's expression had hardly changed. "If you really love me, then you can let me go", she said sadly.

Steele's ears flattened against his head, and the malamute's head tilted to the side in confusion. "What? What are you talking about?", he asked, though as soon as the words came out of his mouth, he wished he had just kept his big trap shut.

"If you really love me for me, and not just some trophy or conquest, then you can let me go. You can let me with the dog I really love", Jenna explained.

Jenna's crushing words destroyed whatever little fragments were left of Steele's heart. The malamute had built all his hopes up, only for them to be knocked by a few simple sentences. "But Jenna, _I_ love _you_!", Steele argued.

"I know Steele, and I'm sorry, but I don't love you. At best, you're my friend. My jerky friend. But I love Balto, and it took me almost losing him to realize that", Jenna said.

"But, but…", Steele stuttered.

"Please Steele. If you really love me, then do this for me. Let me go", Jenna pleaded.

Steele gazed into the husky's saddened eyes again, and noticed a few tears forming underneath her eyelids. As he thought about Jenna's request, Steele wanted more than anything to be selfish. He wanted to tell her no. He wanted to kill the wolf-dog behind her, and take the husky for his own. But no matter how hard he wanted his sadistic dream to come true, he knew it never would. Even if he did kill Balto, Jenna still wouldn't love him. Instead, the husky would hate him for the rest of his life for taking her beloved away from her. And despite Steele's reputation as being a cold-hearted bastard, he couldn't live with himself if Jenna hated him.

A few tears of his own started to form under Steele's eyes, but the malamute growled to himself, and forced the salt water to stop in it's tracks. If he was going to lose the love of his life to his enemy, he was going to at least do it with some dignity. He didn't want to give that wolf-dog the satisfaction of seeing him cry.

Steele sighed, a big gaping hole in his chest where his heart used to be, before placing his paw on top of Jenna's. "Fine", he said simply.

Despite Steele's compliance, more tears continued to flow down Jenna's face, and the malamute started to wipe them away with his paw. "I never thought I'd see the day Jenna Jones cries over me. Why _are_ you crying Jen? I'm the asshole who tried to kill your boyfriend, remember?", Steele asked teasingly, though Jenna could still sense the pain in his words.

"I'm crying because I feel guilty. I'm sorry this had to happen to you Steele", Jenna sobbed.

"Don't be. It's not like you made me fall in love with you. And, who knows? Maybe someday you'll come to your senses and leave that wolf-dog", Steele continued.

"Maybe", Jenna mumbled, though Steele could tell she was only trying to placate him.

At mention of the wolf-dog, Steele turned towards Balto and scowled at him again. Every bone in his body was telling him to attack his rival, but he ignored the hatred swelling up inside him. He had tried to get rid of Balto once, and look where it got him. Instead, he would just have to be patient, and wait for Jenna to come to him. No matter how much it killed him, he would just have the take high road for once in his life, and try to be the better dog.

"Listen lobo, you had better had take good care of Jenna. Because if I find out you or any of your 'wild kin' ate her, I'll come back to Nome and track you down. Jenna is the only thing keeping me from killing you right now, and if you do _anything_ to her, I will beat the living _shit_ out of you!", Steele warned the hybrid. As he put extra emphasis on the sentence-ending obscenity, the malamute's voice was deathly serious.

"Real classy Steele", Balto said, the wolf-dog's eyebrow raised slightly.

"I'm not kidding _Bingo_. I've seen grown sled dogs piss themselves in fear at the sight of me. And I'm not just talking about first-year rookies. I'm talking big, burly guys the size of Kaltag. Now, promise me you'll take good care of her!", Steele demanded, his patience with the wolf-dog growing thin again.

Realizing that Steele wasn't in the mood for his usual smart-mouth comments that day, Balto nodded his head in reply. "Steele, I promise you that I will protect Jenna until the day I die", the wolf-dog assured him.

After hearing those words of sincerity from his rival, the prize dog's face started to lighten up a bit, and a small grin appeared at the edge of his lips. "I'll be looking forward to that day", Steele said anticipantly, and Balto knew the malamute was 100% serious.

However, Steele's grin soon faded, and the malamute's expression became serious again. "Don't think this is the last you'll see of me wolf-dog. Just because I won't kill you doesn't mean I like you now. Someday, Jenna will come to her senses, and I'll be waiting in the wings when that happens", Steele added.

Balto smirked. "Then may the better dog win", Balto challenged, outstretching his paw towards the malamute.

Though he hesitated at first, Steele decided to bite and gripped the wolf-dog's paw in hand, clamping down on it as hard as he could. Though he was deliberately trying to crush Balto's paw, the hybrid showed no visible signs of discomfort. "Yes, may the better _dog_ win", Steele said suggestively.

Though Balto frowned when he realized what Steele was implying, he still stepped back and allowed Jenna to speak to Steele one last time.

The husky's smile grew wider, as Jenna placed her paw on Steele's shoulder. "There are plenty of fish in the sea Steele. Maybe someday you'll find a girl who's better for you than me. And who knows? Maybe it'll even be a guy", Jenna said reassuringly (and a bit jokingly).

Steele chuckled a bit, before scoffing at Jenna's words. "There's no girl out there better for me than you Jen. And besides, I've had guys suck my dick before, and it's nowhere near as satisfying as doing it with a girl", Steele replied, in a matter-of-fact tone.

Both Balto and Jenna's eyes widened as they realized what the malamute was saying. Jenna raised her eyebrows in doubt. "You are joking, right?", she asked skeptically.

"When you're a sled dog, your first few years on the team are always the hardest. And let's just say Kaltag earned his place as my right hand man a long time ago", Steele said, grinning widely.

Though the malamute was obviously teasing her, Jenna could also sense sincerity beneath his words as well, which meant that at least half of them were true. "But…but Dixie said you've slept with dozens of girls", Jenna argued, stuttering over the words in disbelief.

Steele's grin grew even wider, and the malamute bent over to whisper in Jenna's ear. "Women love a man who's had experience in both areas", Steele explained, his bluntness succeeding in stunning Jenna. And without another word on the matter, the former champion lifted his head, and walked off to rejoin his new team.

Balto and Jenna glanced at each other in shock, before one of them finally spoke up. "I always knew there was a reason why Kal and his teammates were still single", Balto said.

"I always thought it would have been Star", Jenna replied, stunned.

A few feet away from them, Steele threw one last, tortured, glance at Balto and Jenna, while Roger attached the lead harness to his neck. He may not have won Jenna's heart today, but there was still hope she would someday be his. And that would be enough to keep him going until he saw her again.

Once Roger blew his trusty whistle, the man's sled team rocketed down the street, with Steele in the lead. As he passed by Balto's empty trawler, the village began to disappear in the distance. Soon it would be nothing but a tiny speck in the horizon.

It was the end of the era. Steele's career in Nome may have been over, but he was hopefully heading towards a new and better life. After all, there was an old saying that '_as one doors closes, another one opens_'. And Steele hoped, for that damn door's own good, that there was a real nice life waiting for him on the other side. "_You'll see me again Jenna Jones. Someday_", Steele thought wistfully, as Nome, Alaska disappeared behind him.

_**Author's Notes:**_

So was Steele joking about Kaltag, or was he serious? That's up to you readers to decide in your imagination. The inspiration for that joke actually comes from a friend of mine, Amber. She told me once that the reason girls always like bi-guys is because they have experience in both areas. Personally, I don't really get that, but I guess it's because I'm not a woman.


	2. Chapter 2

_**Chapter 2: Love's Labor's Lost.**_

_January 7, 1926._

Steele yawned, breathing in the fresh, yet frigid, arctic air. It had been nearly a year since he left Nome to start a new life for himself, and after thinking about Jenna nonstop for almost 365 days, he was finally going to see her again. He was finally going to return to his old home. The people of Nome were going to celebrate the anniversary of the serum run by holding a gigantic sled race, stretching from Nome to Nenana, and Steele's team was gonna participate (after all, even though he was now a disgraced dog, Steele was still one of the original runners in the serum run).

The malamute yawned again, and stretched his legs, before a few clumps of snow landed on his head. Steele growled annoyingly, before shaking his head a bit to fling the snow off. In the process, his head collided with the roof of snow over him, causing it all to almost bury the angry malamute.

Since Roger's tent only had enough room for one person, Steele and his team often had to sleep outside. The dog team slept underneath the snow, piling it on top of themselves to contain their body heat. It was sort of like how the Eskimos made their igloos. Their own natural body heat wouldn't be hot enough to melt the snow, but it would keep them warm enough to sleep through the night, so long as the night wasn't too cold. The technique kept Steele and his men from freezing their tails off, but that didn't mean the malamute had to like it. In fact, he hated snow with a passion. The human children may have thought it was fun and exciting to play in, but to Steele, it was nothing more than frozen water.

After satisfying all his morning needs (stretching his legs, taking a drink of water, etc, etc.), Steele decided it was to time to wake up the rest of his team. "Alright you lazy bums, wake up! It's time to get moving!", Steele shouted at the sleeping dogs that were lying all around him. Though his 'shouting voice' was not at it's usual octave, the malamute still had enough energy to fully demean his dogs that morning.

Besides, his mind was on other things beside his lazy team. Like seeing his beloved again, and finally getting her to fall for him, like he would have a year ago if that half-wolf Balto hadn't gotten in his way. Steele growled, before sighing again, surely a year was more than enough time for Jenna to have changed her mind about Balto. And if she hadn't, Steele would just have to be more persistent this time in swaying her.

However, before Steele could think anymore pleasant thoughts about Jenna, the sound of someone screaming interrupted him. "Hey, get your gay ass off me!", someone shouted angrily.

"Hey, relax Griff", someone else said reassuringly, though the dog's words were clearly having no effect on his angry comrade.

Steele sighed, he already knew who the mad dog's voice belonged to. Griff, the dog that everyone hated, but was too afraid to say or do anything about it. Griff was one of Roger's first dogs, and had been head dog on the team before Steele took his place a year ago. Apparently, Griff used to be the team's own badass, the position that used to be Steele's on Gunnar's old team. Griff had been causing trouble for Steele ever since he took his place in lead dog, but the malamute had put Griff back in his place more than once. Still, he also caused trouble for more than just Steele. He also liked to intimidate his teammates, ones who could be frightened a lot easier than Steele and didn't have nearly as much experience when it came to fighting. Ones of those dogs he liked to target was the same dog he was now yelling at, Blake.

Blake had joined Roger's team a few years ago, and was the first dog besides Steele to be openly gay (though the label didn't quite fit Steele since the malamute had slept with dozens of dogs from both the same and opposite sex). While most of the other rookies and veterans had no problem with him (some even considered Blake to be their best pal), Griff was enormously prejudiced and had made sure Blake knew his place on the team on his first day. Today, Griff had caught Blake sleeping next to him in his makeshift bed, and as ridiculous as it sounded, Griff was accusing the rookie of trying to have sex with him.

"Look Griff, I don't want any trouble. I know you're straight, and I was just trying to keep warm, that's all", Blake reasoned, hoping his words would somehow calm his biased teammate. However, he had no such luck.

"No, you look! I don't want no faggots anywhere near me when I'm sleeping!", Griff growled.

Blake scoffed. "Like I'd actually want to sleep with some homophobic jerk like you", Blake replied, rolling his eyes.

Steele groaned. Keeping his dogs in line didn't used to be this hard when he was on Gunnar's team, back when everyone feared and respected him. Who knew starting over fresh would be so difficult?

Griff snarled, the already angry dog was now furious at his smaller teammate, for having the nerve to talk back to him like that. The rookie's insolence would not go unpunished. Not long after Blake had spoken, Griff charged forward, his teeth bared and his neck hairs standing up. However, Blake stood his ground, refusing to let himself be pushed around by Griff any longer. He would rather die now than let himself be bullied and humiliated for the rest of his life.

Steele raised his eyebrow at bit, as he watched Blake prepare to take on Griff. He had to admit, the kid had balls, and he maybe had a small chance of winning the brawl. But as much as Steele always enjoyed a good dog fight (whether he was watching one, or being in one), today was not a good day for two his best dogs to start killing each other. Steele had a race to get to, and a beautiful red husky waiting for him back in Nome, so the sooner they got moving, the better. Besides, the veteran knew a way he could nip this fight in the bud now, without having two of his own men out of commission. But if he was going to do it, he'd have to do it now, before Roger woke up.

As Griff continued to approach, Blake gulped a bit, but still didn't move. He refused to let Griff know he was afraid, he knew bullies like him fed on fear and intimidation. "I'm not afraid of you Griff", Blake growled, though it was obvious the younger dog was bluffing.

Griff smirked at Blake's words. "You should be, sissy dog. You fags are all alike. Look at Steele, he's spent this whole year moping around, whining about some bitch named Jenna who dumped him for a half-wolf", Griff replied, as he towered over Blake.

"This coming from the guy who freaks out whenever he gets a boner", Steele replied.

Blake and Griff both turned around at the same time, to see Steele had decided to join in their little argument.

Griff growled, as Blake raised his eyebrow confusedly. "What are you talking about?", Blake asked.

Steele grinned, and stepped a little closer, so he and Griff could speak to each other face-to-face. By now, the three dogs talking had gained the attention of the other five dogs on the team, who were all watching anxiously to see what Steele's next move would be.

"When I first joined this sorry, half-assed team, Roger decided I would be the new lead dog. I'd have to be the one to whip all of you losers into shape. And if I remember right Griff, you were all pissed-off because you had to be second dog. At first, I thought it was because you were like me, and didn't want give up your position to a newcomer. But that's not it, is it? It's something much more personal than that", Steele mused.

Blake stared at Steele, confused, and then glanced at Griff. The husky somehow looked even angrier than before, but still didn't move from where he was standing. Only growling at Steele, as the malamute walked even closer.

Steele's grin grew even wider, as he continued to play minds with his subordinate teammate. "You liked being lead dog because you were at the head of the team. All you saw were trees and mountains passing by everyday. But now, you have to stare at your teammates asses every single day. Standing only a few feet behind another dog's butt, that's gotta be nasty, especially when you see their junk waving in the wind. Now, seeing that everyday would be enough to make any dog sick. But that's not the case for you, is it?", Steele asked rhetorically.

Griff growled again, and spoke to Steele for the first time. "Shut up faggot!", Griff snarled, but his lead dog ignored him. Steele took orders from no one, especially not some arrogant, self-centered wannabe. Besides, it was time someone put Griff in his place once and for all.

"I could see it in your eyes, the first time Roger put you in your new position. I could see real fear in your eyes. You weren't angry at me for your taking your job, you were afraid. Afraid of what your 'buddies' might learn about 'big, bad Griff'", Steele smirked.

"I said shut up!", Griff shouted, but the husky's anger only caused Steele's grin to grow wider.

"I bet you tried your hardest not to look. To focus on something else, anything else. The trees, the snow, the grass, the sky, anything that kept you from looking at what was ahead of you. But no matter how hard you tried, you couldn't stop yourself from looking at me", Steele said.

Blake glanced at Griff, and was surprised to see the husky's angry expression had disappeared. Instead, the usually cocky and arrogant dog now looked different than anyone had ever seen him. He looked like he was afraid. Afraid by whatever Steele was building up to.

Steele smirked, as he continued with his observation.. "That's right Griff, I saw you. I saw you looking at me out of the corner of my eye. You were staring right at my butt like it was the most beautiful thing you'd ever seen. In fact, a few ladies have even told me I have a fine rear bumper, but I've rarely ever seen guys so interested in it. I take it you're an ass-man?", Steele asked.

"I said shut up", Griff replied. But this time, the husky's words came out more like a scared whisper than an angry threat. Blake's eyes widened, along with most of the guys on Steele's team, as they all realized what their leader was implying.

"I can only imagine what you were thinking about when you were staring at me for eight straight hours. Whatever it was, it most have been pretty dirty. Because when we finally stopped running and Roger unhooked us, you ran off somewhere and didn't come back for three hours. Now, the others might have thought it was because you were still mad at me, but I know the real reason why you disappeared", Steele taunted.

Griff trembled, as his fear continued to grow. "You can't do this to me", Griff whispered, almost begging for the malamute to stop.

"I can, and I am", Steele growled, unfazed by his teammate's pointless begging. "Besides, I can't stop now. I'm just getting to the good part", Steele said, grinning evilly.

"My guess is you went somewhere far, far away from the camp, at least a couple miles away, but not so far that you wouldn't able to find your way back. The walk there must have been awful, struggling to hold it all in like you had all day. I bet your junk was itching so bad you couldn't stand it. I can't even fathom it myself, how you kept yourself from getting an erection for eight hours. If I had to stare at some dude's butt for eight hours, I'd just let him know I was hard. Trying to keep it a secret is just not worth the pain", Steele mused.

"And you wanna know the worse part of it all Griff? Even after Roger had cut you loose, you still had to control yourself long enough to get as far away from camp as you could, so far that your friends couldn't follow you. And when you were sure your trail had gone cold, you let the floodgates open, didn't you? You succumbed to all your deepest, darkest desires", Steele whispered.

Griff trembled, as Steele noticed subconsciously that a certain part of the husky's midsection was starting to swell up. He could already guess what was going through the husky's mind. As Steele was dredging up all his old memories, Griff wanted to touch himself more than anything, but he didn't want to do it front of his boys. Still, Steele knew Griff's self-control wouldn't last much longer.

Steele grinned again, and rubbed his paws across his chest. "Now, this body has made a few guys hard before, but I've never seen anyone get so horny that they jack themselves off, just because they looked at me. I'm guessing that you're not only gay, you must also be a virgin. You've never had sex with a woman because you're attracted to men. And you've certainly never had sex with a man, because you don't want anyone to know you're a fag. Which means that you've had to settle for masturbating your whole life. Probably learned from your owners how to rub yourself with your paws. And I bet the whole time you were stroking yourself off, you were wishing it was me, wasn't it? You wanted it to be me fucking you. After staring at my dick all day, you wanted to know what it tasted like. You wanted to know what it would feel like for me to release in you. Whether it was in your butt or in your mouth, any hole would have done just fine, wouldn't it?", Steele asked, moving even closer to Griff, until the two dogs were only a few inches apart.

"You just kept rubbing and rubbing, thinking and thinking, until you finally cummed. It splattered all over you, your skin, your fur, your face. I bet it was the hottest thing you had ever done in your life. It felt so right. But you didn't just stop there. After a few minutes, the well finally ran dry, but you still had other fluids inside you, and you didn't want to stop being wet yet. I've seen you staring at me when I take a leak before, so I know seeing someone piss turns it you on just as much as looking at some guy's tail. When you ran out of cum, you pissed all over yourself. You were probably so high that you wished it my doing", Steele said disgustedly.

"But once the moment was over, you were not only in heaven, but in hell too. Despite everything you had said about me, and about Blake, you were a fag too. The proof was all over your fur. You reeked of your 'sins', and if you didn't wash it off before you went back to camp, everyone would know about your dirty little secret. Now, my guess is that your little orgy only lasted for about an hour. You spent the other two hours looking for a river, or a stream, or a lake, or whatever. Anything that had enough water for you wash yourself off. And after you were sure the scent was gone, you went back to camp", Steele concluded.

Steele looked back at Griff, who only stared at the malamute. The husky was still frozen in the same place he had been for the last five minutes, too scared to move, and his face was a mixture of absolute horror - and lust. Steele's eyes wandered down beyond the Griff's face, to inspect the bully's lower area. He could see Griff was so hard the husky was visibly shaking from the pain. He wanted to take Steele so badly. And he knew that if he made any movements whatsoever, he wouldn't be able to stop himself from acting out his fantasies. Instead, he forced a half-angry, half-lustful question out of his clenched teeth. "How did you know?", he whispered.

Steele smirked again. "The sled dogs today are so soft. You barely use any of your senses. But I've been running for years. I see, hear, and smell things that most people can't. I have to admit, you washed most of it off, but I could still smell some of it on you. A tiny little hint of semen and urine mixed together. Too distant for most people to notice, but not me", Steele explained, moving even closer so that he and Griff were not only a fraction of an inch apart.

"If you wanted me to take you, you could have just asked", Steele whispered. But before Griff could reply, Steele shocked everyone, by lunging forward and pressing his lips against Griff's. The husky struggled for a bit, flailing his arms and legs in the air, before he finally stopped. Steele could feel the husky melting into him, relaxing as Steele rubbed his tongue against Griff's. Pretty soon, Steele could feel Griff pushing his lips back against him, with twice as much force as Steele was using. The malamute smirked, as he realized his hunch about Griff being a virgin was right. He was the dog's first kiss.

Out of the corner of his eye, Steele could see all his teammates' eyes widen. Some looked shocked, some a little disgusted by what they were seeing, and some looked a little turned on. He could see several dogs' getting massive boners from the guy-on-guy kiss, many of whom Steele had never even suspected were gay. Standing the closest to Steele and Griff, Blake was neither disgusted or turned-on. Instead, the husky's eyes remained widened with shock, and the dog's lower area remained it's normal side. Strange, Steele had expected him to enjoy this moment the most, instead, it seem his teammates were more horny than him. Maybe Steele's gaydar was on fritz.

Eventually, after sucking Griff's face for about 30 seconds, Steele could feel something long and hard poking him in the stomach, and he had a pretty good idea what it was. It was so stiff it was wonder Griff didn't explode all over himself or Steele. The malamute pulled his lips away from Griff's (ignoring the husky whine for more lip action as he drew back), and glanced down to confirm his suspicions. Steele smirked, and stepped back from Griff, allowing everyone to see how much the husky had enjoyed his first kiss. "Looks like me and Blake aren't the only sissies on the team", Steele noted.

Griff looked down, horrified, and then at his teammates, who were all staring him with the same look surprise. Whether he liked it or not, his secret was now out, thanks to Steele. Griff could feel his eyes dampening a bit with tears of anger, and felt the need to get away from his shame. But before the husky could run off, Steele placed his paw on the Griff's shoulder to stop him. "Don't even think about running away, not today. We have to get moving. Nome is only a few miles away", Steele ordered.

Griff snarled at his lead dog, and advanced forward. "You bastard! I'll kill you!", Griff snarled.

"Do you really want to fight me? Cause your face may look angry, but your _other_ body parts are telling me you're thinking about something else right now", Steele observed, glancing down at the husky's below-the-belt section again.

Before Griff could reply, or even attack, Roger walked up with a harness in his hand. "Alright guys, it's time to head out", Roger announced.

Steele grinned anticipated, while Griff only growled again. "You planned this, didn't you?!", the husky snarled, as realization washed over him.

"Right down to the last detail", Steele replied, as Roger placed his harness over his neck. "You can fight me later. Right now, I've got a lovely lady waiting for me back home", Steele grinned.

Griff panted heavily, anger and hatred pulsing through his veins. He wanted to kill Steele. He wanted to make the malamute pay for outing him like that in front of all his teammates.

As he thought about his teammates, the husky froze and glanced back at the dogs who were all standing behind him. They were all staring at him with that same look of shock and disbelief that they had been wearing for the past five minutes. Griff's heart sank, and at that moment, he wanted nothing more than to bury his face in the snow and hide for all eternity. Even if he did fight Steele, beat him, maim him, even killed him, it still wouldn't make any kind of difference. The damage was already done. Everyone now knew he was a fag, and that's how he would be remembered for the rest of his life. It was all over for him.

Up ahead of him, Steele grinned evilly, as he watched Griff suffer in silence. The husky's pain soothed Steele, it helped him feel less anxious about seeing Jenna again. Seeing another dog's misery made Steele feel confident again, like how satisfied he always used to feel when he would pick on Balto. For the first time in ages, he felt like his old self again.

He was now the top dog in his team, just like he used to be on Gunnar's team. After whining and moping around about Jenna for 12 months, he had now earned his place as lead dog. In less than an a hour, he had put a troublemaker in his place, got a pretty good kiss from that same troublemaker, and a few thrills in-between. All in all, it had been pretty good morning, and he couldn't wait to see what lied ahead for him when they reached Nome.

**((()-()))**

Several miles away from the place where Steele and his team were camping, a worried mother bid her son farewell for the day.

"Make sure you're back by 3:00 Richie, I don't want you staying late after school!", Mrs. Parkinson shouted after her son.

"Don't worry, I will!", Richie replied, as the 10 year old boy ran out the door.

Mrs. Parkinson watched Richie bolt down the street, and head in the direction of the local schoolhouse, before she shook her head and walked back inside. She had watched her son leave for school before, but she had been extra worried about her son's safety for the past few weeks. After all, it was the one year anniversary of the serum run. And her son had been one of the children sick with Diphtheria during that horrible week. Her little Richard had been one of the doomed souls who almost perished, if it had not been for the intervention of that blessed half-wolf Balto. Even though those dark days were long gone, and the chances of Richard ever getting Diphtheria again were slim, she couldn't help but a worry a bit. Seeing your only son wither away to nothing and almost die was something you never forgot, no matter how much time passed.

But just before she closed the door, a small streak of red and white rushed past her, and leapt through the open doorway. Little Kodiak had finally escaped from his boring home, and was free to explore the town. It had been only a few weeks since he was taken home by Richie and his family, and they had already accepted him as their adorable family pet. Kodi loved his humans to death, he really did, but they were so boring sometimes. The only time he ever got to play with his boy was during the weekends, and during the weekdays, Mrs. Parkinson kept him cooped up inside the house all day.

Usually, Kodi was all for following the rules (in fact, he loved rules), but today was the day before the big race, and there was no way he was gonna miss seeing the racers arrive. Kodi had always dreamed of being a sled dog, running with a team like his father, and he was hoping that spending time with sled dogs might help him become one someday. Today, he was gonna be one step closer to fulfilling his dreams.

He knew exactly where to look if he wanted to see sled dogs - Front Street. Every sled team in Alaska had to go through Front Street first before they could go anywhere else in Nome, and Kodi knew that. The six month old pup settled down in a nice snow bank, and waited patiently. Luckily, he didn't have too wait long, as he soon saw a sled team appearing over the horizon. Kodi noticed all the dogs on the team looked exhausted from their long journey, all except their lead dog, a black and white malamute who looked like he was almost bursting with excitement. "_What's he so happy about?_", Kodi thought curiously.

**((()-()))**

"Whoa, whoa!", Roger shouted, a signal for his team to stop in their tracks. The eight tired dogs gladly complied, and thrust their feet forward, as a way of slowing their momentum before they came to a complete stop.

A few seconds later, Roger uncoupled his dogs, setting them free again for the first time in hours. As soon as he was loose, Griff angrily ran off, and disappeared down the street. Steele wasn't surprised. He had expected Griff would run and hide like a coward rather than face his teammates now that they knew his secret. He would probably stay sulking for days. "_He'll get over it. Wimp_", Steele thought, annoyed.

However, what did surprise Steele was Blake running after Griff, following the husky's trail down the street. Why would Blake care about what happened to Griff, his tormentor? "_He probably has a crush on him now that he knows he gay. Maybe Griff was right about Blake trying to sleep with him last night_", Steele mused. Though the malamute was a notorious gossip-hound, he was only half-interested. He had much bigger things to focus on.

He was back in Nome, his old hometown. After traveling for a year, Nome never looked so good. Steele had missed the drab and boring village so much, especially the people who lived in it. He had spent the best years of his life in Nome, winning races, getting in dog fights, hooking up with girls (and the occasional guys), flirting with Jenna, picking on Balto, it had all been so great. It was just those last two weeks he had spent in Nome that were all fucked up. But after a year, everyone would have surely forgotten about his old scandal, and he would be free to pursue Jenna again. He could hardly wait to see that beautiful smile on her face, and those lovely brown eyes of hers.

Steele was about to walk off and search for Jenna, when he felt something tugging at the fur on his legs. Steele looked down, annoyed, to see a young pup pulling on his leg. The kid looked to be no older than six months, and had the same rust and cream colored fur as Steele's beloved. Seeing how much the two looked alike only reminded Steele how much he wanted to see her. Still, he couldn't go anywhere until the little brat let go of his fur.

"Excuse me, mister", the pup said politely.

"What do you want kid?", Steele asked impatiently.

"My name's Kodiak. Are you a real sled dog?", the little boy asked excitedly.

Steele groaned. He used to love having women and children fawn over him, and after being disgraced for a year, he had missed it a lot. But he didn't have time to deal with fans today, especially annoying little children who always asked him dozens of questions nonstop. "Yes I am, now get out of my way", Steele replied, before lightly shaking the kid off his leg and walking past him.

Kodi groaned, as he landed flat on his back in the snow. The impact hadn't hurt him, but it hadn't been very pleasant either. Kodi frowned, as he watched the surly malamute walk off down the street. "Jerk", the kid muttered, before deciding to talk to the rest of Steele's team. Hopefully, the malamute's teammates would be a little friendlier than their leader.

Further down the street, Steele's team watched as three of their best dogs disappeared down the street. One dog, named Jake, watched as his best friend ran away. "Where do you think Griff's going?", Jake asked, worried.

Another dog, named Hal, decided to answer his question. "I don't know. But I wouldn't worry about him if I were you. I'd worry about Blake, he's the only one crazy enough to follow him", Hal replied.

"Good point", Jake said, even more worried now.

"I'll bet you a bone Griff kicks the crap out of him", another dog, named Ron, said.

Jake and Hal turned to glare at Ron at the same time, causing the dog to step back nervously. "What? No takers?", Ron said.

Before anyone could reply, Jake felt someone tugging on his fur. The sled dog looked down, to see little Kodi grinning up at him. "Excuse me sir, are you a sled dog?", Kodi asked.

"Yeah, why do you ask?", Jake asked curiously.

"I wanna be a sled dog too someday. Do you think you can teach me how to be one?", Kodi asked.

A small smile appeared on Jake's face. Despite most sled dogs' reputation as being cold and selfish, Jake had always had a soft spot for kids. "Sure kid, I'd love to", Jake replied.

Kodi's grin grew wider, he had just found a mentor.

**((()-()))**

Further down the street, Blake stumbled through a busy crowd of humans and dogs, hastily apologizing to any dogs he may have bumped into (after all, it was only his first day in Nome, he didn't want to make any enemies already). Griff was only a few seconds ahead of him, but he had somehow managed to already disappear into the crowd.

Blake kept looking and looking, until he finally caught the husky's scent again. He followed it into a quiet, secluded alleyway - the perfect place for someone to go if they wanted to be alone. Sure enough, he could see Griff's rather large silhouette at the end of the alley, sulking to himself in the dark.

"Griff? Are you okay?", Blake asked nervously. Despite everything Griff had done to him, Blake knew no one deserved to be outed like that in front of everyone they knew, not even a mean-spirited bully like him. Still, Blake decided it was best to be cautious and play it safe for now. Griff was already known to be a hothead, and after being humiliated like that, the husky was bound to be in a bad mood.

Griff growled at the sound of Blake's voice, but still didn't turn around to face the rookie. He refused to let his former victim see him in sort a vulnerable state. "Go away pup", Griff muttered.

However, Blake didn't leave the husky. Instead, he started to approach Griff, slowly moving towards the dog. "I'm only worried about you Griff. What went on back there was pretty heavy", Blake explained.

"I don't need your sympathy", Griff replied, though the dog still didn't turn around. It was clear by the tone of his voice that Griff was growing impatient, but Blake still didn't leave the husky alone. He wasn't going anywhere until he said what needed to be said.

"I think you do. You can't just go through life alone all the time Griff. You need someone to tell your problems to. Someone who can help you face the ones you can't conquer alone. Someone you can always count on to have your back, no matter how bad things get. What you need is a friend Griff", Blake reasoned.

Griff scoffed at the rookie's words, and sniffled a bit. "Why would I want a fag like you for a friend?", Griff replied indifferently.

Blake stopped walking, as pain rippled across his face. After everything that happened, Griff was still trying to play the prejudiced card. Even after having his secrets be exposed to everyone, the stubborn husky was still trying to cling to his old ways. Like he could just go on about his life and pretend the morning's events had never happened.

But this time, Blake was not about to buy into it. This wasn't about rivalry anymore, or Griff's hatred towards gays, or any of that straight superiority crap he believed in. Even if Griff was the biggest asshole Blake was ever forced to work with, he was still a part of his team. And part of what made a sled team so strong was their sense of camaraderie. Sled dogs looked out for each other, and whether Griff wanted to admit it or not, he needed Blake, now more than ever.

Blake forced himself to keep walking, until he was close enough to Griff to put his paw on the husky's shoulder. "Griff, if you had just told me you were gay, I could have helped you. I could have-", Blake said. But before the husky could continue, he was cut off by the sound of Griff growling.

Griff snarled, and turned around to face Blake for the first time. The smaller husky flinched, as he saw Griff's twisted, distorted expression. His teammate no longer wore his cocky and superior grin that he usually bore. Instead, his face was a mixture of anger, pain, and anguish, all at the same time. His lips were twisted into a hard scowl, his nose scrunched up in anger, and his eyes were bloodshot red from all the crying he had done for the past three minutes. "You could have done _what_?! WHAT COULD YOU HAVE DONE BLAKE?!", Griff demanded.

Blake stared at the dog for a second, still too shocked for his brain to work right. As the younger dog struggled to come up with an answer, Griff grew impatient and decided to cut him off. "What could you have done for me? Told me to 'talk about my feelings' and start crying like a bitch, just you could have the satisfaction seeing me losing it?! I may be a faggot, but that does mean I'm not gonna become a whiny little sissy like you!", Griff growled.

Blake cringed as Griff's outburst grew louder, and could only watch in fear as his teammate's fury grew. He decided to take a few decisive steps back. He didn't want to be standing directly next to Griff if the husky decided to vent his anger by doing more than shouting at him.

"Here's a better idea about what you could do for me. How about turning me straight, so I'm not a freak? Or better yet, going back in time and killing my mother so I was never born?! Except you can't do that, can you?! You can't do that any of that! So don't go telling me you can help Blake, because you can't do shit for me! YOU HEAR ME?! YOU CAN'T DO _SHIT_!", Griff bellowed.

Blake stepped back an inch, and his heart stopped, as he realized Griff had backed him into a wall. Blake braced himself for the worst, as Griff put his face only a few inches from his, his mouth opening wide. However, after at least a minute of huffing and puffing, Griff still hadn't made his move. Instead, he only stared heatedly at his terrified teammate. He was currently in more anger than he had ever been in his whole life. But for some strange reason, he didn't try to vent some of that anger through violence, like he would have normally done. Eventually, Griff started to cool down a bit, and the husky calmed down enough to speak rationally again.

The husky's face softened, as his anger was slowly replaced by his sadness. His rage had been the only thing keeping him from breaking down completely, and now that it was gone, he could feel the tears building behind his eyelids. "You wanna know more about me? Fine, I'll tell you. You don't know what it's like, being the only fag on the team, wherever you go! Having your father beat you and berate every single night, just because he doesn't want a sissy boy for a son! No matter what team I was on, I was always a freak. When my owner finally sold me, and I became the lead dog on Roger's team, it was a chance for me to finally start over. To finally be something more than a disgrace", Griff explained.

Once his fear finally subsided, comprehension washed over Blake, and he stood on all fours again. "So you changed your entire personality. You created this whole 'macho tough-guy' persona so people would think you were straight", Blake realized.

Griff laughed ruefully, and nodded his head. "I got in this stupid fight during my first year on the team. Some idiot guy found out I was gay, and said he was gonna tell everyone I was a faggot if I didn't throw the race between my team and his. When he told me he knew, I was so angry, so afraid. I didn't want to go back to being the freak I was before. I never wanted to be that again. So I made sure he would never tell anyone about me. I beat his ass so bad that he was put in the hospital for weeks, and made him promise to never tell anyone about me or what had really happened. I get what Steele means about how intimidating people is addicting. When he saw me visit him in the hospital, the guy wet himself out of fear. I guess that's why seeing guys piss turns me on now", Griff explained, musing at the end.

"Well, aren't you glad he didn't throw up when he saw you then?", Blake joked, hoping to ease some of the tension, but quickly shut up when Griff glared him into submission again.

"Anyway, the other guys on the team found about the fight, and I got this reputation of being the team badass. And after a few years, and a couple dozen dog fights later, that's who I became", Griff explained.

Blake stared at the dog sympathetically. All he could think about was comforting the dog, helping him lighten some of the weight on his shoulders. But how he could help someone who didn't want to be helped? Still, he had to at least try. He stood on two legs instead of four, and inched his way towards his teammate.

Griff sighed, when he suddenly felt Blake grab him, and pull him into his chest. Before the bigger, angrier dog could try and struggle, Blake wrapped his arms around him and held on as tightly as he could. "What are you doing?!", Griff growled, his anger towards the rookie returning.

"Griff, don't fight this. You need it, you know you do", Blake replied. Despite the husky's wise words of advice, Griff continued to struggle, trashing about in Blake's arms and calling the younger dog many different insults, all of which probably had something to do with the word 'faggot' (Blake was really trying his hardest not to listen). After at least three minutes, Griff started to run out of energy and relaxed into Blake's arms, who finally felt safe enough to loosen his grip a little.

Once he relinquished his vice-tight grip, Blake was surprised to find that instead of trying to escape again, Griff further buried himself into the husky's fur. It took him a moment, but Blake realized that a warm liquid was flowing down his chest. "_Is he taking a leak on me?_", Blake thought, shocked, but strangely not disgusted. According to Steele, Griff did have a thing for bodily fluids.

But then he heard the sound of Griff sobbing, and he realized that the moisture he felt on his chest was tears. Griff was crying. He had never seen Griff cry before, he doubted anyone had. The hug had worked after all. Despite the fact Griff's tears were drenching his fur, Blake continued to let the husky cry onto him. He needed to get all his anger and sadness out before he could let go.

Finally, after a few more minutes, the well of tears ran dry, and Blake let go of Griff completely, allowing the husky to stumble backwards repeatedly until he got his footing. Griff stared at Blake, his expression unreadable, until the husky finally decided to speak what was on his mind.

"You were right kid, I did need that", Griff muttered, his voice real low and scratchy. Blake guessed all the crying the dog had just done must have effected his vocal cords.

Griff sighed again, before a small smile appeared on the dog's face, a sign that he had finished venting all his rage. "Look kid, this isn't easy for me to say. I'm not used to apologizing after I kick someone's butt, but I'm gonna make an exception this time. I shouldn't have been calling you 'fag' and 'faggot' all the time these past few months. I was really mad at myself and I guess I was taking it out on you", Griff apologized, while awkwardly rubbing the back of his neck.

However, the dog didn't seem notice that Blake wasn't listening to him anymore, the rookie was in completely different world at that moment. He was glad the hug had made Griff feel better, but Blake had also enjoyed it for a different kind of reason. Even though Griff had picked on him ever since he first joined Roger's team, Blake had always considered him to be kinda handsome, for a homophobe. And now that he knew Griff was gay, he could hardly resist the urge to do what Steele had that morning. Griff's lips were so were thick and juicy, so inviting, they were practically calling him in. And like a lost sailor following a siren's call, Blake couldn't fight his instincts, even if they led him towards certain doom.

Unaware that Blake was slowly inching towards him, Griff continued with his apology. "But it was wrong, and I feel like the biggest hypocrite in the world. And-", Griff rambled, before he was cut off.

Before Griff could go any further, his ability to speak was inhibited by Blake running up and pressing their lips together. Just like before, Griff's eyes widened, and the husky flailed his arms around for a bit, before his body relaxed. Pretty soon, Blake could feel's Griff tongue edge into his mouth, looking to touch his partner's tongue.

As their tongues finally touched, the husky couldn't help but notice that Griff hadn't fought as much against him as he had with Steele. "_He must be used to making out with other guys now_", Blake thought. Finally, Blake could feel the moment ending, and reluctantly pulled away from Griff. He had wanted to keep kissing that man forever, but unfortunately, Blake (like all living things), needed to breathe eventually.

Blake glanced up at Griff, before hanging his head down in shame. Griff was in pain, he was just recovering from being outed only a few hours ago, and he had taken advantage of him. He felt so selfish. "Griff, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have taken advantage of you", Blake apologized.

But instead of answering, Griff reached out and grabbed Blake's arm as hard as he could, pulling the dog forward until he all but crashed into his teammate's rock hard chest. After the initial shock of impact wore off, Blake looked up, and saw Griff staring down at him, the husky's face a hard mask of anger.

Blake gulped. He had gone too far. Griff was just starting to like him as a friend, and now he had pissed him off again. He had seen Griff put dozens of the dogs in the hospital, just for insulting him, so he couldn't even fathom how mad Griff was at him now that he had been kissed by another guy. As his teammate continued to stare daggers at him, Blake could only imagine what kind of gruesome and painful punishment Griff had in mind for him. Subconsciously, the dog sat backwards on his hunches, as he waited for the worst to happen.

But before Blake could get too comfortable where he was standing, Griff grabbed him again, and wrapped his arms around the dog, until their chests were only a few inches apart. However, even with their close proximity, Griff was still a foot taller than Blake, so the smaller dog had to look up just to see the angry dog's face.

To Blake's surprise, Griff's angry expression quickly disappeared, and was replaced by a mischievous grin, like the kind a little boy would wear when he was up to no good. Though Griff's grin assured him he was in no danger, Blake was still too scared to move, as the husky started to speak. "Geez kid. First you try to fight me, then you hug me, and now you practically throw yourself at me. Since when did you decide to grow a pair?", Griff asked teasingly.

Blake gulped, and decided it was best to answer the husky's question, before he got mad for real. "Since this morning. I hear testosterone does wonders for a guy's confidence", Blake stuttered nervously.

Griff chuckled, and tilted his head to side a bit. "You know, I should beat the crap out of you kissing me like that", Griff said, his voice half-joking and half-serious.

Although he knew it was stupid to try and argue with the guy who was crushing him, Blake couldn't help himself from asking his next question. He had to know why Griff was being so merciful all of sudden. "So why don't you?", the husky asked nervously.

"You make me laugh. You look so cute when you're nervous, and I'd hate myself if I pounded you into the snow", Griff replied affectionately. Blake laughed nervously, and Griff's grin widened as he saw that smile he loved so much appear on the scared dog's face.

"Just answer me this. When I found you cuddling up to me this morning, were you really trying to keep warm? Or were you just trying to find an excuse you hug me? And you'd better be honest, or I might just have to keep squeezing you until your heart comes out of your throat", Griff asked curiously, with a not-so-subtle warning at the end.

Blaze gulped, he knew Griff was absolutely serious. Still as afraid as he was of his unstable teammate, a small part of him was enjoying their embrace, and never wanted it to end. "A little bit of both. I really was cold last night, but I guess I wanted to know what you felt like too", Blake explained.

"Well, here I am", Griff said. The big dog squeezed Blake one more time (knocking the wind out of the smaller dog's chest), before he released him from his grip, allowing Blake to finally calm down and think rationally again. He had never been in any danger. Griff grabbing him and trying to suffocate him had just been his sick, twisted idea of a joke. He always had had a sick sense of humor.

Griff laughed again, as he saw Blake continue to pant out of fear. Finally, Blake's terrified expression was replaced by a frown. "You know what Griff? You may be all hard and tough on the outside. But on the inside, you're just a big softie, aren't you?", Blake asked.

Instead of replying, Griff nodded his head in reply. "You're alright kid, for a faggot anyway", Griff complimented.

Blake smirked. "Yeah, and I guess you're okay too, for a homophobic jerk who likes to beat up all his friends", Blake replied.

"Who said we were friends?", Griff said, causing Blake to roll his eyes.

After taking one last deep breath (to make sure he still wouldn't have a heart attack from his close encounter), Blake looked back towards the end of the alley. "Come on, we'd better be getting back. The others will be worrying about us", Blake decided.

Griff's smile faded a bit, and his ears drooped. "I'm not going back", Griff said quietly.

"They're your friends Griff. You have to face them sooner or later", Blake replied.

Griff scoffed. "They're not my friends. They only hang out with me because they're afraid of me. I'm the guy they go to when they need help kicking someone's ass, but that's all they think of me", Griff said.

"Maybe, maybe not. But you'll never know for sure if you don't face up to them. If they're really your friends then they'll accept you like they accepted me. If not, who needs them?", Blake reasoned, trying to sound as nonchalant as possible.

Still, he understood why Griff was so worried. His first few weeks after coming out had been the hardest. So many had stopped looking at him in the same way they had before, and probably never would again. Still, Blake had had his friends to help him through some of the rough patches, and now he would be there for Griff during his.

Griff thought about Blake's words for a minute, before the husky sighed in defeat. "Fine, I'll go back. But not now, I'm not ready yet", Griff said. Since he knew Blake, he knew the annoying dog wouldn't give up, so it was best to try and compromise with him.

Blake sighed too. He knew Griff was just trying to stall, but he couldn't force the dog to face his fears if he didn't want to. Besides, this was a chance to get to know Griff a little better. He was just starting to find out about the guy's softer side, and he wasn't ready to stop now.

As Griff started to walk out of the alley, Blake followed only a few feet behind. "Alright then, I'll come with you. We can see the town, meet some of the locals, maybe even a chew a few bones. I hear this place called the Old Mill has a great band", Blake decided.

Griff chuckled, and raised his eyebrows. "What you just described is a date. You've only known I was gay since this morning, and you already wanna go on a date with me?", Griff asked sarcastically.

Blake laughed nervously (he could already feel himself blushing), and shook his head in denial. "Nah, we're just friends Griff. And we'll have fun together as friends. Two friends who just happen to be both gay", Blake said awkwardly.

"Like I said before, who said we were friends?", Griff said, just to piss Blake off again.

It worked.

Only a few seconds after the husky had spoken, Blake punched him in the shoulder, though Griff had hardly felt the rookie's feather-like punch. "Shut up", Blake muttered, causing Griff to laugh again.

**((()-()))**

Across town, Jenna Jones made her way through a bustling crowd of humans and dogs. She was on her way to visit her husband. It was the day before the big race, and she knew today was probably the last chance she'd get to visit Balto before he risked his life on the tundra again. And she knew exactly where to find him. He'd be with his team in the Old Mill, resting up for the big race, that's where he told her to meet him for lunch. But as she walking down the street, Jenna failed to notice a familiar face appear behind her, until the mystery dog decided to speak up.

"Jenna Jones. After all this time, you're still as lovely as ever", a husky voice noted.

As she recognized his voice, Jenna whirled around, to see a face she never she'd see again. "Steele! You're back!", Jenna shouted out of surprise.

The malamute grinned, and wrapped his arms of Jenna, spinning her around a bit, before putting back down on the ground. Steele then smirked, as he watched as Jenna blush out of embarrassment. "Ah, Jenna, you haven't changed a bit", Steele laughed.

Jenna frowned a bit, but the cracked a small smile. "What are you doing back here? I thought you and your team live halfway across Alaska", Jenna asked, confused.

Steele was about to answer, when several dogs brushed past him, earning themselves a growl from the dog they pushed. After Steele composed himself, he turned back to Jenna. "How about we go somewhere where we can talk in private, somewhere without all these people?", Steele suggested.

Jenna nodded, and started walking in the direction of Rosie's house, with Steele not far behind. It felt so good to see a familiar face, even if it was Steele. Besides, the malamute seemed to be much more polite than he used to be, and less obvious about his attraction to her. But as they were walking, Jenna couldn't help but worry. She knew Steele was still hoping they could be something more than friends. So how could she explain to him she was a married woman, and a mother to six children?

Across the street, young Kodi watched confusedly, as his mother walked off with the mean dog he had tried to talk to before. When he saw Jenna appear amongst the crowd, the pup had tried to get his mother's attention so he could tell her about his sled dog lessons, but froze in his tracks when he saw Steele join her. And now she was going off somewhere alone with him. Kodi was worried about his mother, but he also trusted her judgment. Jenna seemed to know what she was doing. And besides, no self-respecting dog would dare hurt a female. Unless of course, Steele had no self-respect at all.

"Hey kid, do you wanna learn, or do you wanna sit around day?", Jake asked impatiently.

Kodi glanced back at Jake, and then at his mother, who was already disappearing into the crowd. He was torn between following his mother, and his following his dream. Finally, Kodi turned back towards Jake. "Coming!", the pup shouted, before eagerly joining the sled dog.

**((()-()))**

On the other side of town, Blake and Griff sat on a pair of pillows, watching a dog named Jared and his band perform some of their best rock/pop hits. Eventually, they got around to a rap song.

"_**Boyfriend**_" by Justin Bieber begins.

"_**If I was your boyfriend, I'd never let you go. I can take you places you ain't never been before. Baby, take a chance or you'll never ever know, I got money in my hands that I'd really like to blow. Swag, swag, swag, on you**_", Jared rapped.

"_**Chillin' by the fire while we eatin' fondue, I don't know about me but I know about you. So say hello to falsetto in three, two, swag! I'd like to be everything you want. Hey girl, let me talk to you**_", Jared continued, before entering the chorus.

"_**If I was your boyfriend, never let you go. Keep you on my arm girl, you'd never be alone. I can be a gentleman, anything you want. If I was your boyfriend, I'd never let you go, I'd never let you go**_", Jared and his band sang.

"You know, some of this stuff is actually pretty good", Blake said.

Griff shrugged in reply. "I've heard better", the husky said indifferently.

Blake frowned, and tried to ignore his annoying friend (which was proving to be rather difficult since he was sitting right next to him). Eventually, he turned his attention back towards the band, who were entering their second verse.

"_**Tell me what you like yeah, tell me what you don't. I could be your Buzz Lightyear, fly across the globe. I don't ever wanna fight yeah, you already know. Imma make you shine bright like you're laying in the snow, Burr**_", Jared sang.

"_**Girlfriend, girlfriend, you could be my girlfriend. You could be my girlfriend until the w-w-world ends. Make you dance do a spin and a twirl and voice goin crazy on this hook like a whirlwind! Swaggie. I'd like to be everything you want. Hey girl, let me talk to you**_", Jared continued, before entering the second chorus.

Blake looked around the room, staring at all the different sled dogs. Some were huskies, some malamutes, some mix-breeds, and some Blake suspected were half-wolf. Despite their different backgrounds and breeding, they were all there for the same reason they were, to rest up before the big race that was coming the next day.

Blake kept looking around the room, until one dog finally caught his eye. The dog was pretty well built, with a rather taut and muscular frame. He was covered from head to toe in light and dark brown colored fur. His eyes glowed bright yellow, and Blake could swear he saw a few fang-like teeth hanging out of his mouth, illuminated by the bright light of a nearby boiler. Judging by his appearance alone, it was obvious the husky was half-wolf. But he wasn't just any wolf-dog. He was _the_ wolf-dog. The wolf-dog everyone in Alaska had been talking about for the past year. "No way", Blake whispered.

Behind him, the band entered the second chorus, but Blake was no longer looking at them. "_**If I was your boyfriend, never let you go. Keep you on my arm girl, you'd never be alone. I can be a gentleman, anything you want. If I was your boyfriend, I'd never let you go, I'd never let you go**_", Jared and his band continued.

"What is it?", Griff asked curiously, but by the time he turned around, Blake was already half-way across the room. "Aw, come on kid, we just got here. Don't embarrass us already", Griff groaned, before following after his teammate.

"_**So give me a chance, 'cause you're all I need girl. Spend a week with your boy, I'll be calling you my girlfriend. If I was your man, I'd never leave you girl. I just want to love and treat you right**_", Jared continued.

Blake ran up to the dog he had been admiring, and tapped on his shoulder. The dog turned around, and smiled at his conversationalist. But before he could say anything, Blake cut him off. "You're Balto, aren't you? The wolf-dog who saved Nome", Blake gushed.

The wolf-dog grin grew wider. "Well, it was a team effort, and I had plenty of help. But yeah, I'm Balto", the half-wolf confirmed.

Blake laughed, though it sounded more like a giggle, and the sled dog's tail wagged with excitement. "I knew it. I knew from the minute I saw you. Your face was all over the papers last year", Blake said.

Before Balto could reply, Griff finally caught up with Blake, and joined in their conversation. Griff groaned, as he realized Blake had already started talking to people. "You'll have to excuse the boy, he's new. He only started sledding a few months ago", Griff explained.

Blake frowned. "Why do you keep calling me 'boy'? I'm only two years younger than you", Blake asked, annoyed.

"You're right. I should call you 'pup' instead", Griff mused.

As the two friends continued arguing, not even the music was loud enough to full block out their conversation. "_**If I was your boyfriend, never let you go. Keep you on my arm girl, you'd never be alone (never be alone). I can be a gentleman (gentleman), anything you want. If I was your boyfriend (boyfriend), I'd never let you go, never let you go**_", Jared continued.

"_**Na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, Yeah girl. Na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na. na. ey. If I was your boyfriend. Na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, ey. Na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, ey. If I was your boyfriend**_", Jared and his band finished, before staring into the crowd, angrily looking for the two canines who had been arguing throughout their performance.

Balto watched as the two friends bickered back and forth for over a minute. It didn't take much to guess the two were more than friends. Much more. Suddenly, the wolf-dog felt incredibly awkward. Like he had went from having a friendly two-person to becoming a third wheel in a lover's quarrel.

Blake growled, before turning back towards Balto. "Anyway, I'm your biggest fan. And I would love to get to know you better", Blake explained.

Balto's eyes widened a little, as the wolf-dog misunderstood what Blake had meant. "Sorry, but I have a wife and kids", Balto stuttered.

This time, Blake's eyes were the ones to widen, and the husky's cheeks blushed bright red. "Oh, no, no, no, I didn't mean it in that way", Blake stuttered. He had only just met his idol, and he was already freaking him out. Maybe Griff was right, maybe he did have a way of embarrassing himself all the time. "_But now that I think about it. Balto is a pretty nice guy. And his body is much more firm in person than it looked in the papers. I wouldn't mind having him for a boyfriend. But…ugh, he's straight…and married_", Blake frowned, moaning to himself in his mind. Finally, Blake stopped stuttering, and decided it was best to try and change subject. "You have a wife and kids? Congratulations. I'd love to meet them", Blake said, putting on his best fake smile.

"Thanks. Actually, Jenna should be here by now. I told her we should meet at the Old Mill at noon", Balto noted, his brows furrowing.

As Balto said the word 'Jenna', Blake froze where he was standing, and the husky's heart stopped beating. "_Jenna?_", he whispered.

"Yeah, you know her?", Balto asked.

However, Blake didn't reply, he only stood frozen in the same spot, staring at Balto like he was looking at a ghost.

As he saw his teammate freeze up again, Griff rolled his eyes and then frowned. "Kid, you're embarrassing us again", Griff growled underneath his breath.

At the sound of Griff's voice, Blake unfroze and growled at his friend. "Who cares about that?! Don't you remember?! Steele kept talking about how he couldn't wait to get back to Nome and make some girl named Jenna be his. He doesn't know Jenna's already married!", Blake explained.

Once he realized Blake was right, it was Griff's turn to freeze up, while Balto's mouth dropped in shock. He hadn't heard the name Steele in almost a year. He thought he'd never see the malamute again. He thought he and Jenna could finally put Steele out of their minds and live the rest of their lives in peace. The idea of Steele coming back now, and stirring up the past again was unthinkable. "What?! Steele's here?!", Balto asked.

"Steele's the leader of our sled team, we came to Nome for the big race tomorrow. When Steele finds out Jenna's already had your kids-", Blake said.

"There's no telling what'll he do. We've got to find Jenna, now!", Balto shouted, before running past Blake and Griff.

However, Griff reached out and grabbed Balto by his shoulder, successfully stopping the wolf-dog in his tracks. "Whoa, whoa, whoa. Even if you are a wolf, you can't fight Steele alone pal. He's too strong. We'll have to call our team for back-up", Griff reasoned.

"There's no time! You've ran with Steele for a year, you know what he's capable of", Balto argued.

As Balto's words washed over him, Griff remembered the events of that morning, how Steele had outed him in front of the entire team, how he had humiliated him in front of all his friends and enemies. And suddenly, he realized Balto was right. There was no limit to how low Steele would stoop to get what he wanted. And if that Jenna girl really was alone with him, she was in horrible danger.

Griff released Balto's shoulder, and the wolf-dog started running towards the Old Mill's exit, with Blake and Griff not far behind. By the time they made it outside, Balto had already made up his mind about what he was gonna do. "You guys go find your team, I'll hold Steele off until you arrive", Balto said.

"But you don't even know where he is", Blake argued.

"I don't have to. Like your friend said, I'm half-wolf, I'll just track Jenna's scent. And wherever Jenna is, that's where Steele will be", Balto explained, before he ran further up the street, and disappeared into the crowd.

"Godspeed man. Godspeed", Griff said, before he and Blake ran off in the direction of where their sled was parked. After running for a while, they found their team, who were still standing in the same place as before for some reason. Finally, they realized their teammates were talking to some kid. It almost looked like they were teaching him the proper way to run.

"What the hell is this?", Griff muttered.

But as soon as he spoke, Blake shoved him in the ribs with his elbow. "Watch the language. There's kids present", Blake whispered.

"We don't have time to worry about stuff like that. We're trying to keep our boss from killing some guy's wife, not running a daycare", Griff growled, before running up to his friends.

Still unaware their two missing teammates had just returned, Jake and Hal continued talking to their pupil. "So, when you stop a sled, always make your sure your thrust your legs forward like this. You wanna make sure you slow down first before coming to a complete stop. Because if you try to stop running while you're still going at full speed, the whole sled with just topple over", Jake explained, while pushing his legs back and forth.

Kodi nodded, and copied the sled dog's movements, before he noticed Blake and Griff approaching from a distance. "Hey, who are they?", the puppy asked curiously.

Jake glanced over his shoulder, and smiled. "Blake, it's good to see you pal, and in one piece at that", Jake noted.

"Griff, you seem to be in a better mood", Ron joked.

"Shut up, we don't have time for your dumb jokes today", Griff snarled.

"Or not", Ron chuckled.

Blake rolled his eyes, before turning towards Jake. "What Griff is trying to say is that there's an emergency. You know that dog, Jenna, the one Steele's been talking about for the past year?", Blake asked.

"Yeah, he won't shut up about her. I don't see how that's an emergency", Hal said.

"What out fearless leader doesn't know is that she's got a husband, Balto. And she's already had his kids", Griff explained.

"_Ooh_", Jake, Ron, and Hal all cringed at the same time.

"Yeah, I know. And if we don't find them soon, Balto might just become a widower", Blake continued.

"Wait, mom's in danger?!", Kodi shouted, terrified.

Griff, Blake, Ron, Hal, and Jake all turned to Kodi, all five dogs wearing the same shocked expression on their faces.

"Wait, you mean you're one of Balto and Jenna's kids?", Blake asked.

"Yeah. When we were training, I saw mom head off with that mean dog, Steele. It looked she was heading back towards her owner's house", Kodi explained.

"Do you know where it is?", Jake asked.

"Yeah, me and my brother and sisters grew up there", Kodi replied.

"Then lead the way kid", Griff said.

Kodi nodded, and ran off down the street, with seven sled dogs behind him. He knew he should had went with his mother when he saw her leave with Steele. And now she was in grave danger, all because of his inaction. He had to find her, before it was too late.

**((()-()))**

Outside Rosie's house, in the Jones Family's backyard, Steele finished telling Jenna about his past year. "So, Roger's not only treating you well, but you're captain of a team again. Sounds like you've had a pretty good life since you left Nome", Jenna said.

"Almost. But it's just not the same without you Jenna. You're a part of what used to make life worth living, and without you, it's all so dull and empty", Steele replied, before walking towards his soulmate. He eventually stopped when his face was a few inches away from hers. Jenna wanted to tell him he was making her uncomfortable, and that his love for her was still unrequited, but she didn't know quite how to tell him.

"And now that I'm back, everything feels right again", Steele whispered, before leaning in to kiss his beloved. Just as his lips were a few inches away from hers, he felt Jenna feebly try to push him away. "What is it?", Steele asked, confused.

"Steele, I can't. I still like you. But I don't love you, I love Balto", Jenna explained sadly.

As he took in what Jenna was saying, Steele stared at her in disbelief. "You mean, you're still hung up on that wolf-dog? After all this time, nothing's changed?!", Steele asked angrily. He had traveled so far, waited so long to see Jenna again, only to learn she was still rejecting him for her freak of a boyfriend.

"Actually, a lot of things have changed since then. Balto isn't my boyfriend anymore. He's my husband, and a father to our kids", Jenna explained nervously, before bracing herself for Steele's reaction. She didn't have to wait long.

As Steele's brain processed the word 'father', Jenna watched as his pain rippled across the malamute's face, followed by a look of horrible betrayal, and finally, uncontrollable rage. He wrenched his head upwards, and glared at Jenna, causing the husky to take another few steps backwards. "Father? FATHER?! How dare that half-breed bastard have the nerve to mate with you!", Steele screamed.

As Steele's anger continued to boil to uncontrollable point, Jenna got as far back as she could, before she realized she had backed herself against backyard fence. "How dare he get you pregnant with his _abominations_!", Steele continued.

As Steele used the word 'abomination' about her pups, Jenna's fear quickly disappeared, replaced by fury of her own. The husky ran forward, and placed her face right in Steele's. "Don't you dare insult my children! They're my kids too! Balto and I made the decision to have children together, and what goes on in my family is none of your business!", Jenna screamed.

However, Steele was completely unfazed by Jenna's words, the malamute was far too angry himself to care if Jenna was offended by what he had to say. Steele was about to argue some more with the husky, when he was cut off by the sound of a third person shouting.

"STAY AWAY FROM MY WIFE!", Balto yelled.

Steele and Jenna turned around, to see Balto standing in the front gate, prepared to fight to the death with Steele (again), if it meant protecting his mate.

Steele snarled, as he recognized the dog he had held a grudge against for so long. Balto. The half-breed had taken everything from him, his job, his home, his fame, and now he had taken Jenna away from him, and there was no hope of ever getting her back.

"You! How dare you do this to her! How dare you contaminate her with your demon seed! And how dare you brainwash her into thinking those little half-wolf monsters will ever be anything more than freaks of nature! Freaks that need to be destroyed!", Steele shouted.

This time, Balto answered with a growl of his own. He had put up with Steele's bullying his entire life, ever since he was a pup. But now it had to stop. He wasn't going to let Steele hurt his family, even if it meant risking his own life. Or worse, taking away Steele's. "Jenna, RUN!", Balto shouted.

For what seemed like the very first time ever, Jenna listened to her husband, and got as far away from Steele as she could. The terrified husky watched from a distance as Steele charged at Balto, colliding with the wolf-dog at full speed. Jenna could only look on as the two rivals grappled head-to-head. Even though Balto had managed to get in a few bites of his own, Steele quickly gained the upper hand, pinning the wolf-dog down against the grass. "_No!_", Jenna whispered, as she saw Steele lean over her husband's body.

Steele smirked. "You may have taken Jenna from me lobo, but if I can't have her, no one can", Steele gloated. The malamute then leaned down further, until his and Balto's faces were only a few inches apart. "And yes, I know it's a bit of cliché, but why mess with a classic?", Steele taunted.

"LEAVE MY DAD ALONE!", someone shouted from a distance.

Balto, Jenna, and Steele all looked up, to see little Kodi run into the yard, heading straight for Steele. Once the shock of seeing her son appear at the worst possible time wore off, Jenna realized the little one was running straight towards danger.

"Kodi, no stay away!", Balto groaned, as Steele continued to stand on his chest.

"KODI, STAY BACK!", Jenna screamed, as she ran out to stop her son. But she was too late. By the time she had started running herself, Kodi had already reached Steele.

Steele tilted his head to the side, as the young pup started to bite him on the leg. The puppy's teeth stung a little, but not nearly enough to cause him any damage. "I remember you. You're that little brat who kept bothering me. I should have known you were that wolf-dog's son", Steele growled, before kicking Kodi in the head with his massive foot.

"KODI!", Balto and Jenna screamed at the same time. The canine couple watched as Kodi fell backwards onto the snow. However, Kodi didn't stay down for long. After taking a second to catch his breath, Kodi ran right back towards Steele and started his second assault.

"Kodi, no…", Balto whispered. The wolf-dog wanted to throw Steele off him. He wanted to help his son. He wanted to make the sadistic sled dog pay for hurting his family, but he was too weak. He had spent all his energy fighting with Steele, and he had still been no match for the malamute.

"Ugh, you don't know when to give up, do you kid? Just like your father", Steele groaned, rolling his eyes. Eventually, he decided to ignore the boy that was tugging on his legs, and focus on the dog he was really fighting. Steele bent over, and grinned evilly at Balto. "When I'm done with you, I'll enjoy killing your freak show of a son", Steele said smugly.

Balto growled, and snapped his teeth at Steele, but the malamute pulled back fast enough to avoid the half-wolf's attack. "Damn, you've still got some fight in you, haven't you? I'll just have to beat that out of you", Steele decided.

The malamute shifted his body a few inches, so his entire body weight was focused on Balto's chest, only a few inches above his lungs. The wolf-dog wanted to scream, as his rival crushed his internal organs, but he didn't have the strength or the breath to use his vocal cords. Steele knew he only had to wait another minute, and Balto's torment would finally end - when his heart stopped beating.

But before Steele could continue with his torture, someone interrupted him, someone who was neither Balto, Jenna, or Kodi. "Well, this is very homo-erotic", Blake noted.

Steele turned his head around and growled, as he saw his sled team had joined him in the backyard. Steele tilted his head to the side again, until he realized that him standing over Balto's chest could easily be seen as a different kind of torture.

"Jesus Steele, it's bad enough you're gonna kill him, do you have to rape him too? I thought you got your rocks off this morning when you kissed Griff", Jake said, disgusted.

"You stay out of this! This is between me and the half-wolf", Steele growled.

"Sorry _alpha_, but that's where you're wrong", Griff replied, before the husky leapt forward and tackled Steele with as much force as he could.

As soon as Steele's weight was lifted off his chest, Balto gasped and filled his lungs with as much air as he could. Out of the corner of his eye, the wolf-dog could see Steele being ganged up on by his angry team. Though the malamute fought like a crazed-animal, he was still outnumbered 7-1, and was subdued almost immediately.

As Balto got to his feet, his wife and son ran up to him, and hugged their loved one around the chest, knocking the wind out of him again.

"Dad! Are you okay?", Kodi asked, concerned.

"Balto, I thought I was going to lose you!", Jenna sobbed, crying into her husband's fur.

"I'm fine. A little banged up, but I've had worse", Balto said reassuringly, while flinching as Kodi and Jenna continued to hug his sore spots.

Once they were sure everyone was okay, Balto, Jenna, and Kodi all looked up, and glared at Steele, who was currently being held down by his mutinous team. Despite Balto's warnings, Jenna walked up to the malamute, and stared at him with a look of absolute hatred. "And here I thought you had changed. You're even worse now than you ever were before", Jenna growled.

As his savage brain calmed down enough to comprehend Jenna's rejection, Steele's angry expression softened. He had messed up. There were no words for how much he had messed up. He had promised himself he'd be the bigger man, but all he had done was make the same mistake he made during the serum run. He had let his anger control him again, and now he was living his worst nightmare. For the first time ever, Jenna truly hated him, and wanted nothing to do with him anymore. And no amount of grand gestures or apologies would ever change that. He had lost, and the wolf-dog had won. Instead of begging for Jenna's forgiveness or cursing at Balto, Steele only hung his head down in shame, and let his teammates drag out of the yard by force.

Balto and Jenna watched anxiously as Blake walked up to them. "Thank you for helping me back there. If you hadn't jumped in…", Balto said, his voice trailing off at the end.

"Like you said, it was a group effort. But you're welcome", Blake said, grinning. He had just been thanked by his idol - it was like a dream come true.

Balto glanced back at the other dogs, who were busy dragging an eerily compliant Steele down the street. "What'll happen to him now?", Balto asked.

"I don't know. When dogs fight on Roger's team, he usually changes their position. If this was the first time Steele got in a fight, he'd just find a new lead dog. But this is the third dog fight Steele's gotten in this year, so Roger will be pretty pissed. It's a good bet that we won't compete in the race. Roger might even sell him", Blake guessed.

"Good riddance", Jenna said, her voice hard and emotionless.

Kodi looked at Steele. He would never that forget his face. The face of a monster, The face of the man who had tried to kill his father. "Dad, why does he hate us so much?", Kodi asked, still shaken up by what had almost happened to his family.

"I don't know Kodi. I don't know", Balto replied.

_**Author's Note:**_

Measuring over 29 pages long, this is the longest chapter of any story I've written so far (even longer than chapter 17 of "_**Erdan 2**_"). But I've had a lot of fun writing it. Whether it was introducing Blake and Griff and then developing their characters throughout this chapter's run, or imagining Kodi's first encounter with Steele (a special request by Kodiwolf321 by the way, thanks Kodi!), or following up on the love triangle between Balto, Jenna, and Steele. Unlike chapter 1, the point of view changes rapidly, and all the characters' separate story arcs all tie into each other towards the end, to make the plot a bit more introspective. All in all, this chapter felt more like a whole story itself than just the second chapter of a story, and was the most complicated plot I've ever written for a single chapter (sort of makes me nervous about what all the other chapters will be like).

When I decided to take a break from writing last winter, I thought it was a bad idea, but now I'm glad I did. Cause if I hadn't, I would never have been able to write this chapter. During my time writing "_**Erdan 2**_", I met a lot of experienced writers in the Kung Fu Panda community, and I've learned from them how to write massive amounts exposition through dialogue, which takes up most of this chapter. Especially during the first 7 pages, when Steele humiliates Griff by outing him in front of everyone.

I'd also like to point out that this is the first time two guys have ever kissed in one of my stories. I've wanted to do it for a while now, but I've never managed to find the right time or place for it. Trust me, when you're gay, and you're always writing stories about straight characters, it can get very frustrating to resist the urge to slash male characters. Whether you're a guy or girl, I think we've all been there.

A good example is when you watch a movie where two cowboys (or bikers, or pirates, or whatever you're into) are fighting each other, and the whole time they're throwing punches, you're really just waiting for them to stop hitting each other and start making out, even though you know it's a straight flick. Or another example is the 'staring contest' between Bruce Willis and the Rock in a 2005 episode of TRL. I was just 10 years old then, and barely even knew I was gay, but I was old enough to know that kiss was the hottest thing I'd ever seen. And the fact they were both straight made it even hotter (of course, it could have been better. Bruce only kissed Dwayne on the cheek, when he could have aimed for the lips).

To put it simply, I find all face-offs between men have a homo-erotic subtext, depending on how you look at it. If you're straight, you'll just see it as two guys being guys and showing their aggression. If you're gay, you'll see it as two guys having a repressed sexual attraction for each other and funneling it though their aggression. And I learned that the hard way when I was writing Balto and Steele's confrontations in "_**Salvation, Part 1**_", especially in chapter 7 when the two stare each other down (if Jenna hadn't been present in that story, it could have easily gone down the same path as "_**Brokeback Mountain**_"). So getting to write for two gay characters for once was refreshing, and finally gives me a chance to tear down some 'macho male' stereotypes (I oughta write bi fics more often).

Also, this chapter makes references to Jack London's "_**Call of the Wild**_", which was a major influence for me when I was writing the "_**Heritage of the Wolf**_" series. Digging holes in the snow to keep warm was something Buck and his team used to do, and when I was writing this author's note, I felt I needed to give credit where credit was due.


	3. Chapter 3

_**Chapter 3: Like Father, Like Son.**_

_September 15, 1929._

After the ordeal his family was put through at the hands of Steele, Kodi worried about his mother and father for weeks, even after Steele and his team left town. Eventually, the pup let his guard down, and moved on with his life. Pretty soon, the memory faded from his head entirely, as he started focusing on his career as a sled dog. In two years time, he became a member of Nome's mail team, following in his father's footsteps like he always dreamed of. He made a bunch of new friends, and found himself a mate, a girl to spend his best days with.

And best of all, he got to run alongside his father in what was probably the greatest race of the boy's career. And before the week was over, he had helped his dad save a human life. Even if it was the life of a guy he really disliked. He finally understood what it was like for Balto, riding into Nome with the antitoxin all those years ago. He finally understood what it was like to pitch in and save someone from certain doom. It was the greatest feeling in the world.

But those days were over now, and they had been for over a year now. Now the sled dog had a much bigger problem to worry about than racing. A much more personal problem.

"I'm telling you Dust, you shouldn't be running in your condition", Kodi said, worried.

Dusty scoffed, and rolled her eyes at her mate. "There are hundreds of female sled dogs out there Kodi, and I'm sure almost of all them have run while they were pregnant", Dusty replied.

"Yeah, but they never had me for a husband", Kodi replied.

"Lucky them", Dusty muttered.

After helping Kodi save his dad last spring, Dusty and Kodi became closer than ever. Eventually, it led to them dating, which then led to Kodi popping the question, which after much prodding on Kodi's part, Dusty said yes. They married during the holiday season, and when springtime came around again the next year, so came mating season (and you know what happens between two dogs during mating season). Now Dusty had a bun in her oven, which was due in about three to four months. Unfortunately, what would have been a fun and happy time for the couple was instead bothersome and annoying, since Kodi kept insisting that she 'take it easy' during her weakened condition.

"I just don't think you should be going on this trip to White Mountain, not when you're so close to your due date", Kodi said.

"I'm not due for another three months! I haven't even started putting on weight yet", Dusty reasoned. Kodi looked like he was about to say something else, when Dusty decided to cut him off. "Hey, you're lucky to even be having kids. Before you started going out with me, everyone in town thought you liked Jack, or Kirby, or Ralph", Dusty said irritably.

"Yeah, why did everyone think that?", Kodi asked, getting a bit distracted.

"Maybe because you acted like you had a big stick in your butt when you first the team. Nobody thought a straight guy could be that uptight", Dusty said exasperatedly.

Kodi sighed, and walked up to his wife, placing his paw on the husky's shoulder. "I'm sorry honey. It's just, I love you so much, and I don't want to see anything happen to you or the baby", Kodi apologized.

"I know you do. But in case you haven't noticed, I'm a big girl, I can take care of myself. And I'm sure the baby will be just fine", Dusty replied, nuzzling her lover on the chin.

"Yeah, I guess you're right. With you as a mother, our kid will be tough as nails", Kodi joked.

Dusty laughed, and let her mind wander a bit. She still couldn't picture Kodi being a father. Granted, he was four years old now (28 in human years), but he still acted like a kid in many ways. She couldn't imagine what their nights would be like after the baby was born. Having to get up at midnight every single night, just to make sure their pups got some sleep. That wasn't going to pleasant, but Dusty guessed it was all a part of being a parent.

"Kodi, you're half-wolf, aren't you?", Dusty asked curiously.

"No, my dad was half-wolf, so that makes me a quarter wolf. But yes, I've got some wild dog running in veins", Kodi replied, deciding to make a joke out of his answer. At least the boy's sense of humor had improved since he married Dusty (she chalked it up to him being around someone who wasn't uptight all the time).

"So that means our kid will be too. Do you think it'll howl at the moon like wild wolves do?", Dusty asked curiously.

"Well, my sister Aleu used to all the time, so probably", Kodi replied, not really knowing the answer to the question.

"Oh, that's just lovely. Our baby won't just cry at night, he'll howl us all to death", Dusty groaned, rubbing her stomach subconsciously.

"Hey, no one ever said being married to wolf-dog would be easy", Kodi replied, grinning. When his father first told him of his wild heritage, Kodi had been a little angry that his own dad had lied to him for so long, but he hadn't freaked out nearly as bad as his sister Aleu had when she first learned the truth. Now, he was proud to be a hybrid. He thought it was kinda cool to be a combination of two species, especially since it helped him when he ran.

"People said the same about me, so I guess we're both troopers", Dusty said, smiling back.

Unexpectedly, the two dogs leaned in, and kissed each other on the lips, sharing their first kiss of the day. And the last kiss they'd have for the rest of the day. That was why Kodi wasn't holding back like he usually did.

Dusty sighed contently, as Kodi continued to push forward on her face, which she returned with even stronger shove to his. It had been so long since Kodi kissed her like this. Ever since he found out she was pregnant, he had always been so anxious and careful around her, like he was afraid of breaking her if he touched her too hard. Maybe now that she'd calmed him down, he'd lay off a bit and give her her space.

Today was the last day they'd spend in Nome before they were chained to their sled harnesses and started an all day run to White Mountain, delivering mail and supplies to the nearby town. So she and Kodi had agreed to spend their last day before the trip with their friends. After all, they'd have all day tomorrow to talk about small stuff. Today, they'd get a chance to catch up on things they might have missed when they were at the doctor's office nonstop for the past two weeks. As much as Kodi didn't want to leave his new wife alone during the most important time of her life, a little time apart was just what every marriage needed. Besides, how bad could spending a day with the guys be? Even if they were the same guys everyone thought he had thing for only a year ago.

As much as he didn't want to, Kodi eventually pulled away from Dusty, and stared at his beloved wife. "I guess I'll see you tonight at the Old Mill. I hope you have fun", Kodi said half-heartedly.

"You too", Dusty said.

With that having been said, Kodi walked off, leaving Dusty standing alone on the sidewalk. She watched as her man disappeared down the street, and even though she had promised herself she would have fun, she missed him already. She had to find a way to take her mind off Kodi. And she was sure she'd think of something to pass the time, eventually.

**((()-()))**

A couple hours later, Kodi and two of his friends, Ralph and Kirby, walked down Nome's Front Street. Kodi had forgotten how annoying his friends were. In just two hours, they had already exhausted him more than any baby could.

"So where do you want to go now, huh Kodi? The beach, the mill?", Kirby asked excitedly.

Kodi yawned, and glanced further down the street. "Actually, I'm planning on visiting some family today", Kodi replied.

"Aw, Kodi, you're supposed to be getting away from your wife for today", Ralph complained.

"I'm not talking about Dusty, I meant dad", Kodi replied.

"What do you want to talk to him for?", Kirby asked, curious, and a little annoyed that Kodi was ditching them already.

"I'm about to be a father soon, I want to ask for his advice", Kodi replied.

Ralph and Kirby sighed, but eventually gave in. "Fine, just don't forget to meet up with us later at the Boiler Room", Kirby said.

Kodi nodded, and ran off down the street, heading in the direction of the old trawler - his father's home.

**((()-()))**

Kodi wasn't the only one who decided to visit family that day. On the other side of town, Dusty found herself slipping through the dog door to Rosie's house. Dusty admitted that visiting her mother-in-law wasn't going to take her mind off of Kodi, but she felt like she had to speak to Jenna. Dusty hadn't seen her real mother since she was sold to Simpson's team when she was a pup, so Jenna was the closest thing to a mom she had had in years. And today, the husky had a few questions that she felt only another mother could answer.

"Jenna, are you here?", Dusty asked.

"I'm upstairs!", Jenna shouted, from the staircase that led the house's second floor.

Following the sound of Jenna's voice, Dusty found Jenna waiting for her in Rosie's room.

"It's good to see you Dusty", Jenna greeted, smiling warmly at her daughter-in-law.

"It's good to see you too Jen", Dusty replied, sitting down on the floor. Dusty and Jenna had agreed to be a first name basis, instead of Dusty just calling her Kodi's mom, or Mrs. Jones all the time.

"I don't want to be rude, but what brings you by today? You and Kodi haven't visited since last week", Jenna asked, curiously.

"Me and Kodi are leaving town tomorrow, and there's something I wanted to ask you before we left", Dusty replied.

"What's that?", Jenna asked, moving a few inches closer to the husky so she could hear everything she was saying.

"Is it hard, being a mother?", Dusty asked, nervously. Before Jenna could reply, Dusty started rambling wildly, her words getting jumbled up as they poured out of her mouth. "Cause I don't know anything about being a mother, I barely even know how to be a wife! And Kodi doesn't know how to be a father. What if we can't support our own baby?! What if we can't feed him? What if-", Dusty stuttered, before she found herself being shaken back and forth by Jenna.

"Dusty, calm down, it's gonna be okay, just take deep breaths", Jenna said reassuringly. Eventually, Dusty followed the husky's orders, inhaling and exhaling several times before her breathing patterns returned to normal. "Sorry, I guess that breakdown must have been building up for a while", Dusty said embarrassedly, before sighing.

"I understand what you're going through. Balto and I weren't prepared to be parents either when we decided to have children, but our faith in each other kept us strong. So long as you and Kodi work as team, parenting won't be that hard. Besides, being a mother isn't as scary as it seems. It mostly instinctual. Once you see your baby for the first time, it'll all come to you, and you'll know what to do", Jenna said.

Dusty grinned. "Yeah, but you never had to worry about feeding for two and having to deal with a nagging husband. Kodi's been driving me crazy all month", Dusty said.

Jenna smirked. "You think Kodi's bad? Balto was even worse when I was pregnant. He used to follow me around all the time, worried that if he left my side for more than even one minute, something horrible was gonna happen to me or the kids. I had no privacy at all. Of course, the irony of it all is that when you're as big as an ox, and you can't even see past your own stomach anymore, privacy is the only thing you do want", Jenna joked.

"Men, and they say we're demanding", Dusty said, rolling her eyes. Most people hated having to spend time with their in-laws, but Dusty liked visiting Jenna. She was such a fun and relatable person. No wonder everyone liked her.

"Still, it was nice having Balto around. He helped keep me strong when I need it the most. Balto and I have been through everything together. People ask us all the time if the serum run was the hardest thing we'd ever faced, but it was just the beginning. Try raising six hyper kids all on your own. Like I said, if Balto hadn't been there to take some of the weight off my shoulders, I'm not sure if I would have been able to handle the pressure. Balto is my world. He's my everything", Jenna said.

"Like Kodi is mine", Dusty whispered, realization washing over her.

"Exactly. You two are meant for each other, just like Balto and I were. It's your time now Dusty, so make the best the of it", Jenna said.

"Thanks Jenna", Dusty said, smiling.

"Anytime", Jenna replied.

Both dogs got to their feet, and Dusty ran out of Rosie's house. She had to find Kodi. Now that her pregnancy jitters were over, there was something she had to tell him.

**((()-()))**

Kodi walked up the trawler's plank, sniffing the air to see if anyone was home. Of course, they were. "Boris, Muk, Luk, Dad? Where are you?", Kodi asked, shouting loudly so the old boat's residents would hear him.

Eventually, Kodi watched a familiar face waddle on deck. Boris Goosinov, Balto's adoptive father, and Kodi's grandfather. "Kodi, it's good to see you", Boris said, extending to his wing.

"It's good to see you too granddad", Kodi said, shaking the goose's wing with his paw as gently as he could.

"I thought we agreed on uncle Boris. I'm still too young to be a grandfather", Boris mumbled.

Kodi grinned. Granddad still had that 'stellar sense of humor' he remembered him having when he was a pup.

A few seconds later, Balto stepped out of his cabin, and smiled when he saw his son walk across deck. "Hi Kodi", Balto grinned.

"Hey dad", Kodi said, before hugging his father around the waist.

Once the hug was over, the father and son pulled away from each other, and stepped into Balto's cabin. Not surprisingly, Balto was the first to speak. Kodi hadn't visited him or Jenna in days, and he had a few questions he wanted to ask the boy. "How are things going with Dusty?", Balto asked.

"Things are going great. The pregnancy's moving along smoothly, and she'll be due in a few months", Kodi replied.

Balto raised his eyebrows. It wasn't like Kodi to give such a short and courteous answer. Something was obviously on the boy's mind. "Alright son, out with it. Why did you come here?", Balto asked, curious.

"I came to ask for your advice", Kodi explained.

"About what?", Balto asked.

"About how to be a father", Kodi said.

Balto took a deep breath. He knew Kodi would ask him about this sooner or later. All sons did eventually. "What do you want to know?", Balto asked.

"Is it hard, raising kids?", Kodi asked nervously.

Balto smirked. "Everything's hard when you do it for the first time. Just like you and Dusty, me and Jenna weren't prepared to have kids either. And believe me, it was no picnic. You and siblings were the wildest pups I'd ever seen", Balto said, patting Kodi on the head. "All kids are energetic, but you and your brothers and sisters had this wild side to you. All this extra energy that kept you going for hours and hours", Balto explained.

"Our wolf-side?", Kodi asked, realization washing over him. Balto nodded, and Kodi took a deep breath. "So, that's what our kid is gonna be like after he's born?", Kodi asked.

"Maybe. All kids are different, as far as we know your little boy or girl could be the calm, quiet type. But the point is, me and Jen got used to it all eventually, because we had each other to count on", Balto said, though he could tell his son still wasn't getting it.

"It's like a dog sled team. Where everyone has to work together as a team, or the mission will be a failure. It's like that with parenting. You and your mate have to have each other's back all the time. You need to be able to count on each other's quick judgment in some of the worse situations, or the kids will literally walk all over you", Balto continued.

"Oh, I get it now", Kodi said, comprehension washing over him.

Balto grin's grew wider. "I knew you would eventually. Oh, and one last thing. Make sure you're actually with Dusty when your pups are born", Balto added.

"Weren't you?", Kodi asked.

Balto grinned sheepishly. "Um, no. I stayed with Jenna during the entire day before, until she told me to go home and get some sleep. And while I was sleeping, she must have went into labor. Because when I woke up the next morning, you and your siblings were lying next to her in her bed", Balto explained awkwardly, the hybrid rubbing the back of his neck subconsciously.

"Well, what kind of dad are you? A deadbeat?", Kodi joked, before he and his father punched each other in the shoulders.

The two talked a little bit longer, until Kodi stood up. There was something he felt he needed to tell Dusty, as soon as he saw her.

Once he saw Kodi stand up, Balto got to his feet. There was something he needed to tell his boy before he left again. "Hey Kodi, make sure you visit more often. Muk and Luk have been missing your company", Balto said.

"I take it they're not the only one who's been missing me?", Kodi asked, raising his eyebrow.

"Well, father-to-be or not, you're still my son", Balto reminded him.

Kodi grinned. "I will dad, you can count on it", Kodi promised, before running out of the cabin, and back towards Nome. His lady love was waiting for him, and he didn't want to be away from her any longer.

**((()-()))**

Later that night, the now middle-aged Jared and his canine band were playing in the Old Mill. Kodi and his team watched on in mild interest, as the Newfoundland's band started a new song.

"_**The Sky's The Limit**_" by Jason Derulo begins.

"_**Like a shock, to my heart. When I saw you tonight, like a dream come alive, for the very first time. When we touch, in the dark, baby you're blowing my mind. Wish I could freeze you and me, in this moment in time**_", Jared sang.

"_**You got it, what I want, give it up, shorty, step it up for me, and I'll give you everything. All my life, all my love, I'll give you my fortune and fame, I'll even give you my name**_", Jared continued, entering the chorus section.

"_**Girl you take me higher than I've ever been before. My feet don't touch the floor, Fly.  
The sky's the limit, the sky's the limit. Girl you take me up, up, up, up, up, up, up, up. Girl you take me up. Girl, you take me higher. The sky's the limit, the sky's the limit**_", Jared and his band sang.

"Geez, these guys are still trying to sing? I thought they would have retired years ago", Ralph muttered.

"I guess you're never too old to rock and roll", Kodi replied, grinning.

"Dude, who even says that anymore?", Kirby asked, to Ralph's amusement.

Kodi rolled his eyes. It was pointless to try and argue with them. In fact, the only reason he was still sitting around the Old Mill was because he was waiting on someone. Someone very important to him.

"_**When we dance, when we kiss, doesn't get any better than this. How you shine, trapped in the spotlight, finally mine, yeah. Baby let's go, let's get out of here. Baby let go, got nothing to fear. And now that we're here, let's disappear, into the night**_", Jared continued.

"_**You got it, what I want, give it up, shorty, step it up for me, and I'll give you everything. All my life, all my love, I'll give you my fortune and fame, I'll even give you my name**_", Jared continued, before entering the second chorus.

"Kodi!", someone shouted.

Kodi looked over his shoulder, to see Dusty walking up to him. "Dust, I was wondering when you'd make it", Kodi said, before running up and hugging his pregnant wife.

"_**Girl you take me higher than I've ever been before. My feet don't touch the floor, fly. The sky's the limit, the sky's the limit. Girl you take me up, up, up, up, up, up, up, up. Girl you take me up. Girl you take me higher. The sky's the limit, the sky's the limit. Oh, oh! Up, up, girl, you take me up, oh yeah, oh. The sky's the limit. The sky's the limit**_", Jared continued, as the two lovers embraced.

"I've missed you so much baby", Kodi said, as Dusty buried her face in his fur.

"I've missed you too", Dusty replied, sighing contently as she nuzzled her lover's chin.

"We don't need time apart. What we need is to learn to work together on this. Be more like a team", Kodi said.

Dusty chuckled. "That's just what I was thinking. Did you talk to Jenna too?", Dusty asked.

Kodi cocked his head to the side in confusion. "No, I went to go see dad. You visited my mom today?", Kodi asked curiously.

"I got bored. I don't really have any girlfriends because I never wanted any", Dusty mumbled.

"Yeah, and I don't really have that many guy friends either", Kodi added.

"The next time we say we want some time apart, maybe we should actually make some more friends first, huh?", Dusty asked.

"_**My feet are on the ceiling, they don't wanna touch the ground anymore. Oh what I feel, I can feel it. Can you feel it? (feel It, feel it)**_", Jared continued.

Instead of replying, Kodi smirked. The rust and cream colored sled dog bent his head over, so he could whisper in Dusty's ear. "I love you Dusty", he said quietly.

"I love you too Kodi", Dusty replied, sighing again as she breathed in the delicious scent of her Kodiak. The alluring woodsy musk that she knew only wolves and half-wolves had. She understood why Jenna loved Balto so much. Having a half-wolf for a husband had it's ups and downs, like all marriages did, but the better moments were some of the greatest she'd ever had.

"_**Girl, you take me higher than I've ever been before, my feet don't touch the floor. We'll fly! The sky's the limit, the sky's the limit! Girl you take me up, up, up, up, up, up, up, up! Girl, you take me up! Girl, you take me up, up, up, up, up! The sky's the limit, the sky's the limit. Oh Woo**_", Jared finished.

As the two danced to the end of Jared's song, and the one after it, the couples' worries about their kids completely disappeared. Because they knew they'd be okay. So long as they had each other, they could anything together. After all, Balto and Jenna had fought off an angry grizzly bear together, how bad could raising a few pups be?

Well, almost all their worries were gone. "_God, I hope they're not like me_", Kodi thought, as he remembered how playful he and his siblings used to be. With that one last thought, Kodi and Dusty spent their last night in Nome dancing, celebrating all the good times they had shared together, and the good times that were yet to come.

_**Author's Note:**_

This chapter contains "_**The Sky's The Limit**_" by Jason Derulo. Kodiwolf321 loves rap music and hip hop, and asked me if I could find a place for some in this story. Personally, I'm more of a rock/pop guy myself, but I'm willing to try something new every once and a while. So Kodi, what did you think?


	4. Chapter 4

_**Chapter 4: An Unexpected, and Unwanted Reunion.**_

_September 16, 1929._

When the next morning finally came around, Mr. Simpson loaded up his sled, while his sled dogs were busying conversing with two other town dogs, who had decided to stop by and say good-bye to their son.

"Now, you two make sure you're careful while you're away. You know how dangerous the wilderness can be", Jenna warned.

"Don't worry mom, this is just a routine run. We'll be gone and back before tomorrow", Kodi said.

"Don't bet on it kiddo", a fifth voice said.

Balto, Jenna, Kodi, and Dusty turned around to see a large, golden husky join them in the street. "Uncle Kaltag!", Kodi said, grinning. The old sled dog was a friend of the family. He had been one of Balto's best pals ever since the serum run, and Kodi had spent quite a few days with the dog, talking about the details of sled dog racing.

"According to the telegraph office, there's a storm heading straight for White Mountain. After you arrive, you won't be leaving until it passes", Kaltag warned.

"Big deal, we've been through storms before", Dusty scoffed.

"But this isn't your usual, everyday storm. This is a blizzard we're talking about. I've seen some of the oldest and most experienced dogs in Nome quake in fear of the mere mention of a snowstorm. Not to mention the fact there's been more and more wolf pack sightings outside of town. And this time of year, they tend to get hungry. Very hungry. So I'm sure they wouldn't mind munching on a half-wolf and his pregnant bride", Kaltag said, rambling on as usual.

"All right, all right. We'll be careful", Dusty promised, though Kaltag doubted the husky's words. The tan dog watched as his friends, Balto and Jenna said their last good-byes to Kodi and Dusty before walking away. Dusty took her place at the sled harness, and Kodi was about to join her, when Kaltag reached out and grabbed the young rookie by his shoulder. "Hey Kodi, can I speak to you for a moment?", the old champ asked.

"Sure", Kodi asked, curious as to what his father's friend had to say. What he heard next surprised him.

"I meant what I said back there. I want you and your wife to be extra careful when you're out on trail. And keep an eye on her so she doesn't do anything too risky. Way too many dogs lose their mates on the trail every year. And let me tell you something, you're a lucky dog Kodi. You've already found a mate of your own, and you're only four. Just like how your father was still young when he met Jenna, while an old pro like me is still single", Kaltag said, a hint of regret in the sled dog's warning.

Kodi looked at Kaltag sympathetically, and patted him on the shoulder. "Don't worry Kal, I'm sure you'll find the right guy eventually", he said. But though the boy's words were meant to be reassuring, they had had the complete opposite effect.

As soon as he realized what Kodi was saying, Kaltag's expression shifted from depressed to alarmed. "Whoa, whoa kid. If you're saying what I think you're saying, then you're barking up the wrong tree", he insisted.

Kodi rolled his eyes. Him and his father had suspected for years the reason why their middle-aged friend was still single, but had never called him out on it, since they figured he had his right to his own privacy. But Kodi couldn't stand to see his uncle so sad, so alone anymore.

"Come on Kal, do you really think me, the son of your best buddy, would care if you like guys? You don't have to lie to me", Kodi replied, putting on his softest expression to earn Kaltag's trust.

Kodi watched as the old dog hesitated for a few minutes, obviously torn between telling his nephew the truth and holding onto his old façade, before finally making up his mind. "Aaagh…alright, fine. I'm queer, you happy now?", Kaltag asked, his ears drooping slightly.

"Not really, not when my uncle's gonna spend the rest of his life alone", Kodi replied quietly.

Kaltag laughed, though Kodi could tell it was forced, and shook his head. "I'll be fine. It's not like I'm Dixie or some other prissy show dog who always wants what she can't have. I'm a sled dog. I'm tough, and I can soldier on", he said reassuringly.

"But aren't there other guys? Like you, I mean?", Kodi asked, still worried.

This time Kaltag laughed for real, and shook his head again. "If there are, they wouldn't dream of letting anyone know. They're still hiding for the reason I have for this long. Because they know all their friends, everyone they know, is waiting to string them up if they found out. Except, my act isn't as a solid as thought. If a kid like you saw through it that easily, I must really be slipping", Kaltag replied, thinking more to himself towards the end.

"Still, there was one guy I knew. The only guy I've ever met who was like me. I met him during my first year on the team, and like the fool I was, I let him know all about me. I followed his every move, shared all the same opinions as him. I even slept with him, and he rewarded me by letting me be his second-in-command. But at what cost? I let him control me so much that I almost lost sight of who I was. And it almost got me killed", Kaltag explained.

"And the worst part? He never even loved me. Turned out the guy was an even bigger hypocrite than I was. And a total jackass. He really liked sleeping with women, but he only kept dim-witted guys like me around whenever he got horny and couldn't mate with the nearest chick. No, the person he really he had his eyes on was anyone but me", Kaltag continued.

Kodi looked even more sympathetic now. It was obvious that this was something Kaltag had never told anyone before. And the only reason he was telling him now was because he was too sad to stop even if he wanted to. "Who was this dog?", Kodi asked, curious.

Kaltag sniffled, but didn't answer, only thinking to himself for a few moments. "It doesn't matter. The point is, those days are gone now. And I'm just enough of a pathetic loser to almost miss them. There's no place in Nome for an old queer like me anymore", Kaltag whispered, a small ghost of tear appearing under the husky's eyes.

But before Kodi could say anything else, Kaltag cut him off, not wanting to speak anymore on the subject. "So listen to what I'm telling you. You're still young Kodi. You've got the whole rest of your life ahead of you, with a beautiful, loving wife, and a healthy little bun in her oven. So enjoy life while it lasts", Kaltag said, this time putting his own paw on Kodi's shoulder.

Kodi hesitated, but after realizing that nothing he could say would make Kaltag bring up the subject again, nodded his head. "I will", he promised.

Kaltag grinned. "Good. Now don't just waste time standing here talking to me, go be with your wife", Kaltag said, before giving the younger husky a little push in the direction of his sled.

Kodi reluctantly walked towards teammates, before looking back at Kaltag one last time. "We'll talk about this later Uncle Kaltag", he said.

Kaltag nodded, though Kodi could tell he was just lying so he would leave. Well, whether Kaltag wanted to or not, they were going to talk about his problem when Kodi got home again. The boy was too much like his father to just stand by and watch Kaltag suffer for the rest of his life. The dog may not have always made the right decisions, but not even he deserved to be this sad.

In fact, the Kaltag he knew, the wise old sled dog that Kodi had befriended as a pup, had always been a kind and gentle soul. Which made him wonder, what was Kaltag like before the serum run? And who was that dog he had been talking about? The one who had used him so cruelly? These thoughts continued to plague Kodi's mind even after his team slid out of Front Street, and Nome disappeared behind them.

**((()-()))**

Miles and miles away, another sled dog, this one three years older than Kodi, laid around lazily in the morning snow. Blake had spent the entire night sleeping behind the White Mountain inn, the hotel where his owner Roger was staying, and he and his team was just waking up from their mid-morning naps. Sled dogs were lazy like that. Especially since the leader, Steele, wasn't around to bug them about how useless they were.

As usual, Blake had slept in a dog-made bed, and his body's natural heat kept him nice and toasty throughout the night. However, it wasn't just his own body heat that had kept his snow bed warm all night.

"Hey faggot, what are you doing in my bed?", someone asked angrily.

Blake's eyes snapped open, and the husky's heart pounded on overdrive, as he remembered the last time someone had told him those words.

"Get your gay ass off of me", the voice continued, obviously annoyed. However, Blake didn't move from where he was lying, only rolling his eyes as he remembered who the voice belonged to.

"I seem to remember that you're in _my_ bed Griff. And you were the one who spent the entire night pounding my gay-", Blake mumbled, before he was cut off.

"All right, all right, I was just having a bit of fun with you. Seriously kid, you make it too easy", Griff said, chuckling.

Blake rolled his eyes again, but allowed a small laugh to escape from his lips. "Only because you're so intimidating. I still don't know why I let a goon share my bed with me", Blake said sarcastically.

Griff pretended to be hurt by the younger dog's words, and allowed his ears to droop a little. "Hey now, that's hardly fair. I let you soften me up, turn me into an average, ordinary sled dog when I could have just beat your tail into the snow the first time you kissed me", Griff reminded the husky.

"True", Blake admitted, before rolling over to grin at his beloved. "Maybe you're not a thug after all", the husky conceded.

"Would a _thug_ allow himself to be curled up in the snow with another dog? Would he let that dog lie on his chest, and snuggle him on the neck just like a queer? No, my thug days were over the minute I let you seduce me", Griff asked sarcastically.

"Hey, it's not like I walked into the alley planning on seducing you. And you didn't have to let me kiss you the second time. Or the third time. Or the fourth", Blake replied.

Blake and Griff, unsurprisingly, had been a thing ever since the day Griff was forced to come out, even if they didn't want to admit it at first. After reining in Steele's nervous breakdown, Griff, with Blake's help, had came out officially to the other guys. Like Griff had predicted, there had been some light ribbing here and there, but it had all been good natured. And like Blake had predicted, since the other guys were really Griff's friends (jerky as he may be), nothing between them changed afterwards.

In fact, the team dynamic had actually improved once Griff stopped trying to pick fights with every dog he saw. And during the first awkward months, Blake was always by Griff's side, being the friend he had promised the dog he'd be. He talked to him on days Griff was feeling sad, and held the dog back to keep him from getting into fights. Now, over two and a half years later, Griff was hardly the same homophobic bully Blake had first met when he joined the team.

Unfortunately, the same couldn't be said for their lead dog Steele. Because while everyone else on the team had been growing closer ever since they left Nome, Steele had been becoming more and more distant from his teammates. More detached and emotionless. Almost like the proud, boasting malamute was a ghost of his former self. Apparently, the dog really had loved Jenna, because losing a female had never hurt him this much before. And his teammates wondered if the former champ would ever be the same again.

Thinking about Steele made Blake raise his nose out of the snow, and sniff the air for any sign of Steele's scent. Unfortunately, he came up with nothing. "Where is out fearless leader today, anyway?", Blake asked, thinking out loud.

A sour look crossed his boyfriend's face, and Griff scoffed at Blake's question. "Who cares anyway? All he does everyday is just sit around and mope about that Jenna girl. It's been almost three years, and he's still acting like it just happened yesterday", Griff grumbled.

"I think he really did love Jenna. That's why it hurts him so much to see her with another man", Blake mused.

"Yeah? Well excuse me if I don't actually care about whether or not our leader is sad. Any sympathy I might have had for him vanished when he announced to the whole team I was a faggot", Griff growled. Although the husky had come a long way in his transformation from homophobe to a good-natured dog, he still held an obvious resentment towards Steele, for taking away such an important life-decision in the first place.

"Honestly Griff, are you two gonna be fighting forever? Holding grudges is what made Steele lose Jenna in the first place, and holding any more certainly won't help this team. Besides, I thought you said you were gonna stop using that word", Blake asked, before raising his paws and poking holes in the igloo that protected them.

Griff grumbled in reply, saying something about how it was a force of habit and it couldn't be helped, before he copied his boyfriend's actions. Once they broke through the snow, the two dogs were immediately met with a blast of cold, morning air. Even in the summer, the artic temperatures of Alaska never disappeared completely, so things got cold again quickly in the fall.

Blake looked around, to see the rest of the team getting up as well, several canine noses poking out through the snow. "Alright, Roger's not doing anything today, so let's head into town", Blake decided. "_And maybe find out what Steele's up to_", the husky thought to himself.

**((()-()))**

The malamute in question watched quietly, as team after team of sled dogs pulled into the main street. There was a reason why so many sled teams were stopping there. There was a blizzard coming, and all the nearby mushers had decided to take shelter in White Mountain rather than try to foolishly risk riding out the storm in the mountains. That was why Steele's team were here in White Mountain. Roger had been making his way east when he heard about the storm, and decided to bunker down in the nearest town before continuing onward.

They were on their way to deliver mail to the next town. After finding about Steele's fight while they were in Nome, Roger had decided the malamute was simply too dangerous to be allowed around other sled dogs. And for a moment, he thought about just getting rid of the troublesome dog, like the man before him had done. Until he remembered his promise to Gunnar. Eventually, he decided to just give up his racing career entirely, and he and his team took jobs as mail men. And that had been their careers for almost two years now.

Talk about a long fall from grace. Steele and his old cronies (Nikki, Kaltag, Star) used to laugh at mail teams, calling them pathetic excuse for sled dogs. But now he was he mail dog himself. Not that he gave a damn anyway. Ever since he lost Jenna, nothing mattered to him anymore, not even his pathetic new job.

Speaking of mail teams, Steele couldn't help but notice another one pulling into town. Normally, he would have paid them no attention, and just kept thinking to himself. Except, there was something different about this team. Something uncommon. Their lead dog, a young husky who looked to be about four years old, had red fur.

Now red alone was a pretty uncommon color for sled dogs. Most of them were black, or white, or gray or brown. But this dog's particular shade of red was even more strange. His fur was so bright, it almost resembled a flame of red and orange. The only husky Steele had ever seen with such unique fur was his long, lost beloved… "_Jenna_", the malamute thought, his heart leaping.

But before he could even begin to get his hopes up, and start dreaming about the impossible, he remembered that this dog was a male not a female. Besides, what would Jenna be doing in White Mountain? She wasn't even a sled dog.

But her son was. The dog who had saved that bush pilot the year before. The dog who had become worldwide news, just like his father. Who was no doubt the dog Steele was looking at right now.

After all, like he mentioned before, the dog looked to be about three or four years old, which would be the exact same Balto's son, Kodiak, would be. The little brat who had tried to fight him a long time ago, on the worse day of his life. It seemed the boy was all grown up now. And even though Kodi looked a lot like his mother, the only thing Steele saw in him was his father. Just looking at Kodi reminded him of Balto, that accursed half-wolf, and how he had corrupted the boy's mother, turning her against him. Kodi was living proof that life wasn't fair, and Steele couldn't just stand there looking at the boy anymore. He had to say something. He had to do what he should have done two years ago.

At that moment, the boy had just been untied from his sled, and he and another dog (she looked pregnant, maybe she was his mate? Steele didn't really care), had just finished talking, and were starting to walk in opposite directions. But while Dusty managed to make it around the next corner with her musher, Kodi didn't get very far before the angry malamute stepped in his way.

"Um, excuse me, but you're blocking my pa-", Kodi said, before he was suddenly, and harshly cut-off.

"You have a lot of nerve wolf-dog!", the malamute snarled, getting right in Kodi's face.

"Um, what?", the husky stuttered, taken by surprise. But once the shock wore off, Kodi frowned, annoyed that he was being yelled at by a total stranger. "What are you talking about?", he asked, confused.

"You and your freak of a father took everything from me. And now you have the nerve to show your face in my town, trying to steal this _pathetic_ life from me too?!", the black and white dog continued.

"Look I don't know who you are, but my father would never steal anything from anyone, and I wouldn't either", Kodi growled defensively, starting to get fed up with the slanderous accusations the dog was throwing at him about his father.

However, his words only seemed to make the dog angrier, and Kodi took a little step backwards just to be on the safe side. The boy knew nothing about fighting, and this angry, delusional sled dog was twice his size. He knew that if the dog did decide to lash out at him, he wouldn't stand a chance.

"Listen lobo, you and your team had better clear out of here before the end of the day. Or the next time I see you, I'll do to you what I should have done to your father", Steele snarled, sending a chill right down Kodi's spine, before the mystery dog turned and walked away.

Kodi's heart was pounding through his chest, as he made his way back to the sled. He needed some time to think. What had just happened? Who was that dog, and how did he know his father? And most importantly, why did he hate the boy's family so much that he threatened his life?

So much for a routine sled run. He had only been in White Mountain for a few minutes, and he had already made a new enemy. His first enemy actually, in more ways than one.

The boy had no way of knowing the truth of what had just happened. He had been too young during their first encounter to recognize the dog during their second. Otherwise, he would have known that instead of making a new enemy, he had simply ran into an old one. He had no way of knowing that he was suffering for the sins of the father.


	5. Chapter 5

_**Author's Notes:**_

So I'm gone for a few days to work on reviewing the next four chapters, and imagine my surprise that when I return to this site, I find eleven reviews have been posted within the first weekend. The response to this fic has so far been mixed, due to the darker tone and homo-erotic scenes in chapter two (something that isn't exactly new to my stories, but rather something that I haven't put under a microscope until now). Still, I can't complain. A little constructive criticism is always helpful to a writer, especially one that struggled just to get two people to read his fics only a year ago. So before you guys start reading this one, I'd like to respond to some of your comments.

* _**1PastandPresent1**_ - None taken. I don't mind that much when people criticize my work, because it means they've been paying enough attention to the plot to notice my mistakes, whether they're big or small. A lot of times, I tend to use too many commas. It's a bad habit of mine. If you read my previous fics, the Salvation trilogy, you'll notice that the sentences run on way too long. I'll try to fix the comma thing the best I can, but it won't be easy. Also, me missing a few words is pretty common too. These chapters are so long that when I review them my eyes start to get tired from looking at the same thing over and over again, so I actually don't notice the missing words. It takes me at least two or three tries to spot what should be really obvious. So, it'll take a while, but I'll try to smooth that out too.

Finally, there's chapter two. Chapter 2 was actually so vulgar that I thought about raising the rating to mature because of it, but eventually decided that since no sex actually takes place in this story, it still fits within the confines of a T story (trust me, if any of you guys are 17 and you've ever seen an R rated movie, you've probably seen and heard things a lot worst than sled dogs talking about sex).

And as for the language in this fic, I apologize for that. Before I started writing chapter 1, I decided that sled dogs are like sailors in the canine world. They know a wide variety of curses and swears, and they use them whenever they get the chance (except for Kodi and his team, who are the rare exception to the rule). I held back a little for "_**Heritage of the Wolf**_", but since this story has a much more adult feel to it I allowed them to be a bit more vulgar.

Steele's speech about Griff's masturbating was actually something I thought about for a while. Because I figured that after reading that section, people would react in three ways. One, they would be completely unfazed (albeit a little creeped out), and keep reading because they want to know what happens next. Two, they would be totally grossed out, and would stop reading this fic in fear that dogs would start humping each other in the next chapter. And three, they would start to get turned on around the same time as Griff, and start to question their sexual preference. As you can guess, the first two are the ones that are most likely.

It's technically not possible for dogs to masturbate, since they don't have thumbs like humans do. But I've always pictured the dogs in Nome being a lot like Charlie and Itchy from "_**All Dogs Go To Heaven**_". In other words, being able to stand on two feet as well as four, and use their paws as hands (hence, all the scenes of dogs rocking out in the Old Mill). Besides, there's only so many ways you can forcibly out someone as being gay, and I thought it was better than having Steele seduce Griff in front of the entire team (then we'd be going from an angst fic to a porn-without-plot in just a few paragraphs).

The point is, this isn't just something I put in because I was bored and I wanted to make Steele kiss another guy. Even though Steele is crazy hot for a bad guy, and I'm totally digging the idea of him and another guy-dog (Balto or Kaltag) getting it on, that's an idea best saved for an M-rated fic. The confrontation between Steele, Blake and Griff is actually important to the plot, because it introduces the rest of Steele's team. And their story directly intertwines with Kodi and Dusty's story later on. So everything in this fic, even the disturbing parts, happens for a reason.

Anyway, now that you guys have bypassed chapter 2, the worst is over. They'll be a few more mentions of sex in this fic (it's nothing new really, Devil, Wilson, and Cookie dominated a lot of "_**Salvation, Part 1**_" with their rapist thoughts about Jenna), but it'll be nowhere near as bad as it was in the first two chapters. From here on out, the plot will be mostly about Kodi trying to protect his wife and unborn child, and Steele deciding whether or not to take his anger out on Balto's son.

* _**Guest User**_ - I know, this fic is a new experience to me too. But I feel it's one I've been ready for for a while now. Since I'm gay myself, there has always been a hint of gayness in my fics, even in the "_**Heritage of the Wolf**_" ones. Though not a lot of people notice it, Wilson was a bisexual character, and had lustful thoughts about both Balto and Jenna in chapter 10 of "_**Salvation, Part 1**_". And in Part 2, Kaltag makes a joke about how he and his teammates should just date guys since they can't seem to pick up any girls. So there has always been a homo-erotic subtext to my work, the only difference is before I only did a few jokes and innuendos. Here, the tone has changed considerably, and male characters literally start making out, which might shock a few of my straight readers.

I understand that everyone has their own opinion, and that not everyone is comfortable with different morals and different lifestyle choices. I'm not angry with you for voicing your opinion. Quite the opposite. I'm happy that you've been reading my fics, and will take the time to look at the summaries to see which ones you'd be interested in. After all, no one's forcing me to like every guyxgirl fic out there, so I'm not gonna try to force gay ones down your throat.

The reason I write such a wide variety of stories is so that everyone can find something that they'd like, gay or straight (or bisexual). Whether it's the story of a wolf-dog and his husky girlfriend, or an action fic with kung fu warriors, or even a romantic mystery about a boy reporter and an alcoholic sea captain (God, I've been wanting to write a fic about Tintin and Captain Haddock for so long now. It would be really fun to put an American spin on something that's always been timelessly European). That variety is also why I try to pack in as much information about my stories as I can in the short summary space I'm allowed, so my readers can know what they're getting themselves into before they start reading the first chapter.

I can't promise you all my stories will be as conventional as the Salvation trilogy. I've got a lot upcoming fics that slash male characters, stories that might offend anyone under the age of 18. In fact, after "_**Salvation, Part 3**_", there's another "_**Heritage of the Wolf**_" fic I've got planned that will involve Balto and Kaltag helping a gay sled dog regain his sense of self-esteem. So my anonymous friend, I hope you continue to read my fics, and I hope my summaries are helpful enough to continue to help you find something that you'd so like in my wide variety of upcoming fics.

* _**Unshippedcorpse**_ - I know, Balto fics are really hard to come by. And what's even more sad is that a lot of them are unfinished, and will probably never be finished. So there's a lot of wasted potential for Balto and his friends, in both the movies and internet fanfiction. Because there are so many different things that can be done with the wolf-dog and his family, thousands of different scenarios that can be explored, that aren't done, simply because fans of the movie want to stay true to the plot of the sequels.

Trying something new is actually why Kodiwolf321 and I wrote this fic, because there are hardly any stories where Kodi meets Steele, and there's a lot of potential there for a fanfic. Whether it's a rivalry between the two, or an unlikely alliance. What's more, I never though that I'd ever write a collaboration fic. But this experience was even better working with Kodiwolf321, who pitched some of this story's best ideas (Dusty being pregnant in this fic was Tom's idea, which makes for an interesting complication later on).

* _**That Nerd Next Door **_- I feel kinda bad for Balto too. Somehow, the idea of the bad guy winning their fight just feels wrong, doesn't it? Still, I felt it was kind of necessary for Steele to rough Balto up a bit, to make his character really scary again. Because in the movie, and most fanfics based off the movie, Steele has always been portrayed as a coward. Someone who talks big but only picks fights when he has gang behind him, and only strikes when the humans have turned their backs.

Well, that's a bit different in this fic. Here, Steele is not only bisexual, but he's also a genuine badass character, capable of dominating over Balto in a fight. You know what he's capable of now, so it really makes you afraid for Kodi when he finally confronts his family's enemy later on (which is good, because you want to be afraid, or otherwise the plot is just boring and unrealistic).

* _**Kodiwolf321**_ - When we were thinking up this story, I never thought we'd actually finish it. For such a simple premise, it took us forever to finally figure out what this fic was gonna be about, and how it would end. But so far people seem to be responding to it pretty well, and the plot holds together quite nicely. Plus, the music for Steele that you wrote fits right in with the context of this chapter. I know there must have been a lot of times when I asked you to trust me, and you had no reason to do so. But it means a lot that you had faith in me with this project. So thanks for making my first collaboration fic awesome.

Well now that this incredibly long author's note is over, let's get on with the story. Sorry there's only two week. But what happens in these two should prove to be quite shocking. Kodi pulls a move that would his make father proud.

_**Chapter 5: The Sins of the Father.**_

Blake, Griff, Jake, Ron, and Hal strolled down the streets of White Mountain. They loved days like these. Days when there was no work to do, and they could spend all day doing nothing. It was also on rare days like this that they had time to meet other sled dogs, and hear the spectacular experiences their fellow dogs had had on the Last Frontier. Not that they believed any of it, but it was still fun to hear about.

And then Blake saw just the dog he was looking for. Steele, storming down the street with his head to the ground, and his ears flattened against his head. "Hey Steele! What are you-", Blake asked, before the malamute shoved past him, acting as if his teammate hadn't even spoken.

Blake groaned, and rubbed his sore shoulder, before staring at back Steele. The malamute continued to walk in the same pace, never slowing down and never looking back. As if his short encounter with Blake had never even happened. That wasn't like Steele. Granted, he had always been a snarky, egotistical jerk. But for the past 21 months, Steele had been an empty shell of dog, who rarely showed an emotion about anything. But now he seemed so angry, so much like his old self. What had changed? What could have possibly have been so significant to him that it could have brought Steele out of his pity party? "What's his problem?", Blake wondered, thinking out loud again.

"What isn't his problem?", Ron grumbled.

"I know. I don't know how that guy was ever a leader. He doesn't care about anybody but himself", Jake said, frowning.

"_I don't think so. I think there's some part of him that cares about others, even if he never listens to it_", Blake thought, disagreeing with the dog in his head. He then glanced back at the direction Steele had just left, hoping to see what could have caused the malamute's sour mood. The only thing he saw was a dog sled team. Out-of-towners, just like them, by the looks of it. To most, they would have paid the team no attention and went on about their day. But Blake wasn't like most dogs. And the newcomers' presence was enough to make him curious. "Hey, let's go say hi to that team over there", Blake suggested.

"What? Why?", Ron asked, surprised.

"To be nice. After all, we're all sled dogs. Aren't we supposed to be friendly to our fellow sled dogs?", Blake retorted, quickly thinking up an excuse, before walking down the street in the direction Steele had just came.

The dog's teammates sighed, but followed Blake nonetheless. After all, they had nothing better to do all day.

**((()-()))**

Miles away, a lone wolf-dog laid on top of his trawler, tossing and turning in his sleep. Like he normally did around this time of the day, Balto was just lying in the sun, catching some Zs before heading over to Jenna's house to visit. But this afternoon nap was different than his usual ones.

Usually, he slept soundly and hardly made any noise once he closed his eyes, enjoying the blissful feeling that was slumber. But today, his calm and peaceful dreams were much more disturbing and chaotic. So much that he was actually mumbling in sleep, horrified by the images that were flashing in his mind.

Eventually, the wolf-dog's golden yellow eyes snapped open, and he gasped for air. He hadn't dreamed anything that unsettling since his last few days with his daughter Aleu, over two years ago. And while most people would have just brushed off as a bad dream, Balto knew better than that now. He knew he only had nightmares like that when the universe was trying to tell him something. Which meant something very bad was going to very soon. And he had to be there for it. The fate of his family depended on it.

**((()-()))**

Back in White Mountain, Kodi and his teammates, Kirby and Ralph, stood next to their musher's sled, waiting there until Mr. Simpson returned. Their musher had left to check them into the White Mountain inn, and Dusty had decided to go with him, while Kodi and the rest of his friends waited at the sled. Partly because they were lazy, and partly because Kodi wanted to talk to them about something that he didn't want Dusty to know about.

"I can't believe it. I raced with Balto. He's one of the most honest and honorable dogs I've ever met. He would never steal anything from anyone", Kirby insisted, talking to red-furred friend.

"That's what I said", Kodi replied, frowning at the memory of that malamute snapping at him.

"And you, you're no thief", Ralph snorted.

Kodi raised his eyebrow. "What's that supposed to mean?", Kodi asked, annoyed.

"It means you ain't got the guts to steal something kid", Kirby said, grinning.

"I could be a thief if I wanted to", Kodi replied. However, the only reply that he got this time was his three friends laughing at him. As if the idea was so funny.

Before Kodi could say something else, five other dogs suddenly walked up to the sled, taking the husky by surprise. "Hey there!", one of them said, walking right up to Kodi, while his friends followed close behind. "Name's Blake. These are my friends, Griff, Ron, Hal, and Jake. You're new in town, aren't you?", the dog asked, extending his paw.

Kodi smiled, and eagerly shook the other dog's paw. It wasn't just because he was trying to be polite. He sincerely liked meeting other people. "Name's Kodi. We're just delivering mail from Nome. We'll be spending the night here before we head back tomorrow", Kodi explained.

"Kodi? As in Kodi, the son of Balto? The kid who helped his dad save the bush pilot last year?", Blake asked, his eyes widening.

"The same", Kodi replied, grinning now.

Blake laughed, and shook Kodi's paw even harder. "A chip off the old block", the sled dog said.

"Heh, you're a whole lot bigger now than you were the last time I saw you kid. I see your dream of being a sled dog finally paid off. You must have remembered all the stuff we taught you", Jake said, shaking Kodi's paw as well.

"What stuff are you talking about? I've never met you before", Kodi asked, cocking his head.

"Oh right, you were too young then to remember us, weren't you? You were such a small little tyke", Ron said, chuckling.

Kodi blushed, and cleared his throat, as he heard Ralph and Kirby laughing behind him. "Um, if I did meet you guys when I was a pup, what did you teach me?", Kodi asked, desperately wanting to change the subject.

"The same thing you just did when you came in. I'm the guy who taught you how to park a sled, remember?", Jake asked.

Kodi held his breath, and racked his brain, trying to sort through the hazy jumble of images that were his childhood memories. After all, it had only been two years for humans, but for a dog that was fourteen years, an entire decade and a half.

Finally, in some of his oldest and cloudiest memories, Kodi found a brief image of him walking up to a sled dog and asking him for pointers. The dog had proudly obliged, and one of the things he told him was to always thrust his paws forward before stopping, to give himself time to slow down before slamming on the brakes completely.

Kodi gasped, and grinned at the dogs standing before him. "It really is you guys", he said, laughing just like Blake. Just seeing some of the friends he had made as a child made him feel like a kid again. Those days had been so innocent and so peaceful. As much as he liked being a sled dog, there was days where he almost missed the life he used to live. The life where he had no worries and no responsibilities. Only a dream.

But before he could start to feel nostalgic, his memories of Jake started to bring back more memories of that day. Like the door to his past had been closed for so long that now he had opened it, it couldn't be closed again. And some of the things he remembered he couldn't believe he had ever forgotten. Some things were so terrible he prayed they only happened in his imagination. But deep down, he knew they were real.

He remembered the night his family was attacked by Steele, the black and white malamute who had led Jake's team. The same malamute he had talked to about sled talk, only to be shot down. The same malamute he had seen his mother walk off with. The same malamute who had just threatened him a few minutes ago. The same malamute who had warned him to get out of town before he did the same thing to him that he did to his father, who he had so mercilessly beaten.

Eventually, the other dogs began to notice when Kodi went silent for more than a minute, staring off into empty space. "Kodi, are you okay?", Kirby asked, waving his paw in his friend's face.

"He's here. Oh my god, he's here", Kodi whispered, the husky's voice trembling.

"Who's here?", Kirby asked lazily.

"Yeah, stop talking in riddles and just tell us", Ralph grumbled.

"Steele's here", Kodi replied, shuddering.

**((()-()))**

Steele sat on the porch of White Mountain's general store, staring at the cloudy sky. The storm clouds were just starting to roll in, a sign the blizzard was not far away now. Alaska already had short days, but the stormy weather meant today would be even shorter. Not that Steele really cared about how daylight he was gonna have when he found Kodi and ripped his head off.

For the past half hour, he had been thinking about his encounter with Kodi. He had thought long and hard about Balto's son, and how he represented the life he used to have, the life he could have had. Kodi was the spawn of his worst enemy. He was everything the malamute hated, all in psychical form. Which meant he could touch Kodi. He could hurt him. He even could kill him. For the first time in years, he could make his half-wolf father hurt. And the idea was deliciously appealing.

It was the sort of thing he would have done before, before this goddamn life with Roger and his team had made him soft. After all, Balto had taken everything from him. He took his whole life. And the only way to really make the wolf-dog hurt like he did was to take away something more important to Balto than _his_ own life.

Steele stood up on all fours, and sauntered down the street. He had finally made up his mind on what he was gonna do. "_**Give me, give me everything, give me everything. Oh yeah. Life is so hard. Is this a nightmare? I blame it on you. You took my glory. I want my revenge on you. I want you gone, dead, I don't care. That should be me lovin' her. Oh yeah**_", Steele thought to himself.

"_**I could do anything like you never seen me do before. I'll do it bigger than I ever done before. Life can get so hard at times. Oh yeah. Why stop now, when I can have everything, do anything, and have everyone?!**_", the malamute continued.

Finally, he saw what he was looking for. A man and a dog walking into a building, completely unaware that they were being watched. "_There's my next target_", Steele thought grinning. He was so close, everything that he wanted. Everything that he dreamed about for so long was finally in reach. And all it would take was a few simple moves, and the wolf-dog would be in the palm of his hands, like playing chess.

"_**I'll have it all! I'll make it hurt so bad that your heart will drop!**_", Steele continued, as ran across the street and followed the man inside. "I'll get you back Balto. I'll make sure of that", the sled dog promised, before laughing to himself.

**((()-()))**

"This is some place you got here Connor", Mr. Simpson whistled, as he and Dixie toured the White Mountain motel. Though the building looked small and kind of shabby outside, the two-story inn was huge on the inside. The external structure was built like a log cabin, while the main foundation was held up by giant wooden columns, spread out throughout the lobby.

The hotel manager, Connor, guided them to their room, showing off every room in the building while doing so. "Yeah. This place was built by the town's first settlers, who came here looking for gold. It's been a part of White Mountain for almost a century now, and to us it's more than just a hotel, it's a monument to the Alaskan spirit", Connor replied.

"Still, it's looking kinda raggedy, isn't it?", Mr. Simpson asked, as he noted the cobwebs on the ceilings.

"Yes, some of the guests have complained that the inn creaks and moans during snowstorms. The wooden foundation isn't as strong as it used to be, and sometimes the roof leaks. I fear this old inn has seen it's best days", Connor replied.

"But it will be able to survive the storm tonight, won't it?", Mr. Simpson asked, concerned. Walking next to him, Dusty shared her musher's worried expression. As a mother-to-be, her main priority was to protect her unborn child. And so far, she wasn't so sure the hotel could protect anything from a storm, let alone her baby.

"I'm almost certain the inn will be able to weather out tonight's storm", Connor replied.

"Almost?", Mr. Simpson asked, his eyes widening.

"Well, nothing's ever 100% percent, is it? Besides, it's better than sleeping in a tent all night, waiting to be blown off the mountainside", Connor chuckled.

"True", Mr. Simpson said, complacent for now.

Finally, Connor stopped walking, and turned towards the one of the doors. "Alrighty, room no. 8. Right next to Mr. Greensborough's room", Connor said, as he turned the key in the lock.

"Mr. Greensborough's room? You mean…Roger?", Mr. Simpson asked, grinning as comprehension dawned on him.

**((()-()))**

After his ability to speak came back to him, Kodi filled in Blake and his team about his short encounter with Steele, leaving the boy's own friends baffled by what was happening. "So who's this Steele guy?", Kirby asked, curious.

"Bad news. I haven't seen him since I was a kid, but he tried to kill my dad", Kodi explained, his paws still trembling a little.

Alarmed, Kirby rushed to Kodi's side, and shook his younger friend to try and calm him down. "Why would he want to kill Balto?", the husky asked.

"I think he liked my mom. He said something about killing dad and making her his", Kodi explained, trying his best to remember everything Steele had said while he was standing over his father's broken body.

"He didn't just know her. He loved her", Blake interjected, speaking up for the first time.

As he remembered the other team's presence, Kodi turned around to demand answers from them. "You, what do you know about this? Why is Steele doing this? Why does he hate my dad so much? And why is coming back now?", Kodi asked.

"Your mom and dad, they never told you everything about the serum run, did they?", Blake asked sympathetically.

"They told me enough. Dad told me he went into the blizzard and brought the team home", Kodi replied.

"I guess they didn't want to scare you. I don't know much myself, most I've just heard about in stories. But Steele used to be the leader of your dad's old team, before the serum run. He used to hate your dad because he was half-wolf", Blake explained.

"Yeah, we're getting that", Kirby frowned, though Blake ignored him.

Meanwhile, Griff decided to cut in. "Yeah, but that wasn't the only reason he hated your dad's guts. He loved this girl back in Nome, Jenna. But she loved Balto, and chose him instead", Griff added.

"A smart choice I might add", Ron said suddenly, earning himself several shushes from his teammates.

"So when the serum run came, and Balto rode out to help Steele, he turned him down, because he didn't want to be saved by his rival. Long story short, Steele ends up getting left behind by his own team, while Balto and the others ride back to Nome. Steele gets sold to a new owner, our owner, and is forced to leave Nome. Which is how we got stuck with him for almost three years now", Griff continued.

"So when Steele finally does get back to Nome, he finds out the girl he pined over for so long got married to the wolf-dog anyway, and already had his kids. And he loses it", Blake explained.

"We're were able to keep him from doing something stupid then. But it looks like he's decided to finish what he started. He's going to try to get to Balto by killing his son. God, how could he be so stupid and selfish?! I'm so sick and tired of him getting our team in messes like these!", Griff growled.

"Big deal, it's just one guy. A middle-aged guy at that. If Ralph and I help Kodi, the three of us should be able to kick this old dude's butt all across town", Kirby smirked, before grinning at his samoyed buddy.

However, Blake and Griff ignored them, and turned towards Kodi. "Don't underestimate him. I've known him for years now, and Steele is fiendish. He's cunning, and sneaky and manipulative. He knows how most dogs think, and he uses their weaknesses against him. So he'll probably set you up, and wait in hiding until he can get you alone. And then he'll strike you down when there's no one around to help you", Blake warned, the husky's usually sunny and cheery tone now dark and grave.

"Okay", Kodi replied, desperately trying to grasp everything he had just learned.

"But the worst part is that Steele has no sense of shame. He has no conscience, and there is no low he won't stoop to. He'll go after your friends and family. He'll attack your loved ones to get your angry and cloud your judgment. Steele always likes to rile up his opponents before a fight, because he knows people make foolish mistakes when they're angry", Blake continued.

"So basically kid, if you've got a girlfriend or something, you'd better keep an eye on her. And don't do anything stupid if Steele threatens to go after her", Griff said, deciding it was best to put his boyfriend's warning in layman's terms.

"Girlfriend?", Kodi asked, confused. His mind hurt. It hurt so much. He was still trying to come to terms with the fact there was a mad dog after him, so he was only half-paying attention to what Griff was telling him. And then, that one word took center place in the sled dog's brain, blocking out all other, non-important thoughts.

He couldn't believe he had been so selfish. How could he worry about his own safety when his wife, his _pregnant_ wife, was out there alone with a psychopath on the loose?

As Kodi's heart pounded in his chest, he tried his best to take his mind off the pain, so he could remember where he had last saw his beloved. Finally, he remembered Dusty walking off with Mr. Simpson, telling him that she'd be back once they got checked into the hotel. And that was over thirty minutes ago. She should have been back by now. "Dusty…I've gotta find Dusty!", Kodi shouted, taking everyone by surprise.

He was about to run down the street when Griff reached out and grabbed the boy by his shoulder. "Hey kid, I thought we just told you not to make any stupid mistakes. And going off by yourself is pretty dumb", Griff reminded him, frowning.

"You don't understand, my wife's out there. I have to find her before Steele does", Kodi insisted, panting.

"That's the same thing Balto said before he was pounded into the snow", Griff warned, his brows furrowing even deeper.

Kodi growled, furious about how easily Griff talked about his father's beating, while his friends walked up to him and tried to shake some sense back into the husky. They had never seen Kodi this angry about anything before. Whatever had gone down between him and Steele before must have been really bad.

"Hey Kodster, calm down. The big guy's right, if this Steele guy is as bad as they say he is, the last thing you want is to take him alone. If you're going to go look for Dusty, we'll go with you", Kirby decided.

"And we'll look for Steele", Blake decided, turning back towards his team to look for their approval. As expected, they all nodded their heads in agreement, and Griff finally let go of Kodi's shoulder.

Kodi winced, and rubbed his sore shoulder, before glancing back at Griff. He had never met a dog so strong before. Not only did he hold him back, but he may have actually bruised his shoulder.

"Sorry about that kid, I guess I don't know my own strength anymore. It's been a while since I've had to do that", Griff apologized.

"It's alright", Kodi insisted, he could already feel the pins and needles feeling subsiding, which meant it definitely wasn't bruised. Thank god for that. The last he needed was to be injured before a fight.

Blake chuckled, and shook his head at his boyfriend. "If you think that's strong, you should try hugging him. The guy's like an ox", Blake joked, his light mood returning for the moment.

Ralph's eyes widened, and he glanced at Blake, and then at Griff. "Whoa, so you and him are-?", the gray dog asked, finally catching on, before he was cut off by Kodi.

"Come on already!", Kodi shouted, shooting past all the other dogs and racing down the street. He only glanced back once to make sure Ralph and Kirby were actually behind him, before he raced into the hotel. Now that all the talking was over, and they had made up their minds what they were gonna do, he was ready to find Dusty and protect her Steele. He didn't want this ordeal to last any longer than it had to. And he didn't want any innocent people getting hurt because of his family's feud.

**((()-()))**

"So remind me again why you're leaving town when there's a blizzard on the move?", Jenna asked, looking at her half-wolf like he was out of his mind.

After rushing back into Nome, Balto had called all his friends, Jenna, Nikki, Kaltag, and Star to the Old Mill so he could talk to them in private about something. Apparently, the wolf dog was about to leave town, and journey into the woods, braving yet another blizzard so he could follow Kodi's trail.

"I had a dream…about Kodi", Balto replied. That was all the explanation Jenna needed. As soon as Balto gave her his response, any questions Jenna might have planned on asking him disappeared from her mind.

"So what? Lots of people have dreams. I had a nightmare last night where I was a hairless cat. But you don't see me going off into a snowstorm and getting myself killed just because I'm afraid all my hair will fall out", Kaltag retorted, hoping he could talk some sense into his friend.

"This was different Kal. This wasn't an ordinary dream. Now, I don't remember much of it, but the part I do remember had something to do with the blizzard. Dusty was injured, and Kodi was trying to save her, but he couldn't do it alone. And his team were no better off than Dusty was. A father's job is to prepare his son for the real world, and be there whenever he needs him. And tonight, Kodi's going to need me again", Balto insisted.

"And what kind of father would you be if you didn't help him?", Jenna guessed.

Balto grinned, Jenna knew him so well. Then again, why wouldn't she? "A deadbeat, that's what kind", Balto replied, remembering Kodi's joke from the day before.

Jenna didn't try to argue with Balto. She knew there would be no point in that. And besides, if Balto's nightmare did mean something and Kodi really was in danger, then she wouldn't even dream of trying to stop him. She had the complete opposite thing in mind. "Well then, I'm coming with you", she decided.

"Jenna", Balto frowned, but before he could argue with his wife, the husky raised her paw to his face to quiet him.

"Balto, the last time you told me stay behind, I missed my chance to say good-bye to Aleu. Now, I'm okay with that because I know that was a journey you and Aleu were meant to go on alone. We always had to let her go, and there's still a chance I'll see her again someday. But if there's really a chance I'll lose my son and my daughter-in-law too tonight, then I'm not gonna miss being there this time", Jenna said. The firm tone in her voice told Balto the husky's mind was already made up.

A year or two ago, he would have been worried out of his mind and would have been thinking constantly about whether or not Jenna could handle a snowstorm. But he and his wife had been through enough together for him to know she could handle herself just as well as he could. There was even a few times when she had stepped in to save his tail. So there was no doubt in his head that she could keep up with him. "Alright", Balto said simply.

"Then we're coming too", Kaltag said suddenly, standing up.

"We are?", Star asked nervously.

"Yeah we are. I'm Kodi's godfather. The kid is my responsibility too, and no storm is gonna blow him and his wife away while I'm around", Kaltag said, determined.

Balto grinned. Even after all the time that had passed since the serum run, decades in dog years, his friends still hadn't changed. They could always be counted on in a bind. "Alright then, we'll leave in 30 minutes. So all of you say good-bye to your owners. Jen, I know you'll want to see Rosie one last time before we go", Balto decided.

Jenna nodded, and Balto's grin grew wider. It seemed he still knew her pretty well too.

"What'll youse be doing?", Nikki asked curiously.

"Saying good-bye to Boris. He'll want to know I'm leaving him alone with Muk and Luk for the rest of the night", Balto chuckled. He could already picture the sour expression on his goose father's face.

**((()-()))**

Kodi dashed inside the White Mountain inn, ignoring all the swears and curses coming from the people he had bumped into. He followed Dusty's scent, running past room after room. He knew Dusty and Mr. Simpson had to be close by, cause their scent was still fresh. Finally, the trail stopped at room no. 8, and he scratched on the door, hoping there was a human on the other side. Luck was on his side that day.

The door creaked open, and Mr. Simpson glanced down, to see three of his sled dogs standing in the hallway. "What are you guys doing he-?", he was about to ask, before Kodi brushed past his leg and ran inside the room.

"Dusty!", he barked, frantically throwing his head and back forth to look at the entire room.

"Kodi? What's the matter with you?", Dusty asked.

Kodi whirled around, to see Dusty staring at him from the other side of the room. Kodi's heart leapt, and the husky ran up to hug his wife, taking her by surprise. "Dust!", he exclaimed, desperately clinging onto his loved one, like if he let go for just one second, something horrible would undoubtedly happen to her.

"Um, I'm happy to see you too", she said awkwardly, as Kodi continued to squeeze her waist. Eventually, when it started to become uncomfortable, she decided to say something. "Careful, you might choke the baby", she said, though the expectant mother was only half-joking.

"Oh, sorry. It's just really good to see you're okay", Kodi said, before reluctantly letting go of his wife.

"Don't tell me you were worried about me again?", Dusty frowned. Ever since he had talked to Balto, Kodi was making such progress. The last time his wife wanted was for him to relapse into his overprotective ways only a day later.

Kodi chuckled, and rubbed the back of his head. He then glanced at Kirby and Ralph, who had just joined him in room 8. Both of his buddies were just as relieved as he was about Dusty's safety.

Dusty's eyes widened as she finally acknowledged her two teammates' presence. Kodi worrying too much was one thing. But Kirby and Ralph freaking out over nothing was something that hardly ever happened. Which meant something was wrong. Really wrong. Something Kodi wasn't telling her. "Kodi, what happened?", she asked, concerned.

Kodi opened his mouth to say something, when he was interrupted by Simpson, who seemed to speaking to another human in the door. "Roger, I see you're back again. It's so good to see you!", Mr. Simpson said, the eskimo grinning ear-to-ear.

"You too John", the man on the other side replied.

Kodi cocked his head to the side, confused. "Who's he?", he asked Dusty, momentarily forgetting about the explanation he owed her.

Dusty smiled. "Roger's an old friend of John's. They knew each other back in Nome, before Roger moved away. They ran into each other by accident", Dusty explained, chuckling.

Kodi looked at the two mushers again, watching as the men shook hands, and patted each other on the back. "I heard about that big race last year in the papers, the one against the bush plane? You're a lucky man John. You got to race with a legend _and_ his son. Two generations of greatness at the head of your team", Roger said, albeit a bit regretful.

"Hey now, you didn't do too bad yourself Roger. After all, you've got a legend of your own leading your team. Steele is a force to be reckoned with too", John said reassuringly. And even though he was only trying to make a friend feel better about himself, the man had no idea the full seriousness of what he was saying.

But Kodi did. "What?", the boy whispered. He never thought it was possible for him to go from being relieved to being terrified again in such a short amount of time. But he did.

"Yeah Steele, he's an old pro. He was here with Roger when we checked in. Oh, here he comes now! Maybe I can introduce you to him", Dusty said, oblivious to the fact her husband was frozen where he stood.

"Actually Dusty, we've already met. I'm a friend of the family", a cold voice said, which Kodi knew could only belong to one dog.

Kodi forced his eyes to move over towards the doorway, and his heart went from being inactive to pounding on overdrive, when the last person he ever wanted to see again walked right into the room.

Steele laughed, and ignored the cold stares of Kirby and Ralph, along with Dusty's blissfully ignorant grin. The only thing the malamute focused on was Kodi, who had stepped protectively in front of Dusty, much to her confusion. It was just like how his father would always try to protect Jenna from him. Like he would actually hurt a female, especially not Jenna. Just like Steele had thought before, Kodi was just like his father. Which meant he was too much of a hero to worry about his safety. And unfortunately for Kodi, that would only make Steele's plan even easier.

Kodi gulped. The rust and cream colored husky knew he had no reason to be afraid. From what Blake and Griff told him, Steele would never pick a fight in a room full of humans. And even if one did start, Kirby and Ralph were there to help him out. But even with all those odds on his side, Kodi was anything but calm. There was something about the way Steele looked at him. Something he saw in those ice cold eyes of his that weren't quite right. Something wild and crazy. And every time those steely blue eyes settled on him, a chill went right down Kodi's spine.

Kodi guessed this was how every dog felt whenever they challenged Steele. And this was how his father had felt everyday of his life for five years. Even though Kodi knew he was being ridiculous, and was completely blowing things out of proportion in his head, he couldn't help but wonder if this was also how it felt to look straight into the eyes of the devil. To have to face the sins of the father.

_**Author's Notes**_

Fear does crazy things to people. And it's funny how the longer you think about something, the more your imagination makes things seem a thousand times worse than they actually are. But then again, wouldn't you be scared out of your mind if you saw your father be almost beaten to death by a psychopath, and then you had to face said psychopath yourself? Steele's song and inner monologue (entitled "_**Steele's Revenge Theme**_") was written by Kodiwolf321. Tom's a songwriter, and like I said before, he loves a good beat.


	6. Chapter 6

_**Chapter 6: The Hunter and his Prey.**_

"Kodi, what are you doing?", Dusty asked confusedly, as her husband suddenly stepped in front of her, blocking her view of Steele.

"Stay back, and don't ask questions", Kodi whispered urgently, though Dusty noticed that he didn't turn around to look at her.

Steele laughed, and moved even closer, earning himself a growl from Kodi. "I see you finally joined us. I was wondering when you'd remember to protect your mate, Balto would have gotten here half an hour ago. But honestly, you don't have to try and keep her from me. I'm not at all interested in her. It's you I warned to get out of town…_or el_se", Steele reminded him, circling the husky and his mate.

It only took seconds for Dusty to realize what was happening, and why Kodi and all her friends had suddenly got so protective of her. All traces of friendliness she had with Steele disappeared, and she stepped out from behind Kodi, ignoring her husband's protests. "Kodi, who is he? Who is he really?", Dusty asked, growling. She wasn't about to let herself be intimidated by whoever this strange dog was.

"Steele. The dog who sabotaged the serum run. The man who tried to kill my father", Kodi said through clenched teeth, though he still didn't take his eyes off Steele. The malamute never made a move towards them, nor did he ever back away. He just kept walking circles around them, over and over again, while completely ignoring Kirby and Ralph. Like a shark singling out his prey, and scaring it into submission.

Finally, Steele stopped walking, and stared Kodi right in the face, towering over the younger dog by almost six inches. "Ah, so you finally remember me now, do you? Your brain must be smaller than I thought", Steele asked, chuckling.

Tired of watching the malamute harass their friends, Kirby and Ralph growled and ran towards Steele, when the malamute held up his paw towards them. "I wouldn't do that if I were you fellas. John and Roger are still in this room, and if they see you two trying to start a fight in a hotel, they just might throw you out. And with the storm coming tonight, I don't think you wanna be sleeping outside", Steele reminded them, grinning smugly.

Kirby and Ralph growled again, but didn't make any other moves towards Steele. The malamute was right of course. He was just baiting them. Daring one of them to lose their cool so he could set them up the same way he always used to trap Balto.

"What's your game Steele?", Kodi asked impatiently.

"My game? I thought I already told you. I want you to _leave_", Steele growled.

"You know I can't. No one's going anywhere until tomorrow morning", Kodi reminded him, even though he already knew the malamute didn't care.

"Then I guess you already know what option number two is. You won't know where it'll happen, or when it'll happen, but sooner or later I will get you alone, without your precious humans to protect you", Steele said, the malamute's sinister grin returning.

However, Kodi seemed unfazed by Steele's threats (either that, or he had a really good poker face). Instead, the husky looked at his rival almost sympathetically, like he actually pitied his father's old enemy. "Steele you don't have to do this. You don't have to make the same mistakes you made all those years ago. You're only gonna make things worst for yourself", Kodi reasoned.

Steele snorted then and started laughing, like everything Kodi had said, some of the wisest advice the boy had ever given, was a big joke to him. Ralph and Kirby's scowls grew even deeper, as they stared at the malamute in disgust.

"Mistake? The only mistake I ever made was letting your father live all those years ago. If I had known I'd lose Jenna anyway, I'd have iced that wolf-dog before I left Nome", Steele retorted cruelly.

While everyone else's expressions remained angry and filled with hatred towards Steele, Kodi's face changed considerably. The boy's fears disappeared completely, replaced by understanding and comprehension. Steele had no idea how significant his taunting was. How he revealed so much of himself in his idle threats. How he made it so easy for someone to look inside his soul, and see him for the fragile, broken person he was, if you looked close enough. As clichéd as it sounded, by putting up walls around his heart, Steele had actually left himself more vulnerable than before.

Kodi barely noticed when Roger said his good-byes to Mr. Simpson and started to leave the room. Nor did he pay Steele any attention when the malamute left with his owner, staring daggers at the boy and his team on the way out. Kodiak was too busy thinking about what he had just learned, and how he could use it to do the impossible. Since he was trapped in the hotel with Steele for 24 hours, he was gonna make the best of a horrible and situation. Besides, Steele's mocking words proved that he had chance to do what his father and mother had never been able to succeed in. He could save Steele.

**((()-()))**

"You do know where you're going, don't you?", Star asked, feeling nervous again already.

"Sure. I've been to White Mountain plenty of times, we all have", Balto reminded the samoyed.

"Yeah, but that was a long time ago. We retired years ago Balto", Kaltag added.

"Some things you never forget", Balto replied, as the wolf-dog sniffed the ground. The hybrid, his wife, and his friends had just left Nome over an hour ago, and were currently walking tracing Kodi's scent through the Alaskan forest. Though Balto insisted he knew where they were going, his friends still weren't so sure.

Balto and Jenna had never let them down before, but this was a race against both time and nature. Storm clouds were beginning to darken the sky, meaning the snow fall would start soon. And once they happened, the team's tracks would be buried, and their scent erased. They would have to rely on Balto's memories and his instincts alone to get them to White Mountain. Still, if you were a sled dog and you had to be the lost in the woods with anyone in the world, a wolf-dog was probably your best bet of surviving.

"If we keep up this pace, we should be half-way there by the time the snow starts", Balto said reassuringly, before dashing ahead, with his friends and his wife right behind him. But they were so busy focused on the sky, and the path ahead, that they weren't all that interested in their surroundings. Not even Balto, who was usually the most alert of the group. Which is why he didn't notice they were being watched.

**((()-()))**

"Have you found Steele yet?", Kodi asked hopefully.

"No. We searched the entire hotel, but no one's seen him since this afternoon, not even Roger. He's still freaking out cause one of his dogs have gone missing right before a blizzard", Blake replied.

"Well he couldn't have just disappeared", Dusty reasoned.

"Actually he can. There are dozens of buildings and homes in White Mountain. And he can be hiding in any one of them", Kodi reminded her.

"The nerve of that guy, threatening my buddy. Just wait til' I get my paws on him", Kirby growled.

"Hey, remember what I told you guys, don't do anything stupid", Griff reminded them, the older husky in a sour mood as usual.

"Well we can't just let him get away with this. You didn't hear what he told Kodi and Dusty", Ralph said, deciding to put his two cents in.

Steele's second encounter with Kodi had long since passed, and the sun was just beginning to set over White Mountain. Kodi had already filled in Dusty about who Steele was, and how he had attacked the boy's father two years prior. After searching the town, Steele's team had returned to the hotel, and everyone had regrouped in the crowed lobby. They figured that with all the humans and animals taking shelter there, the lobby was the safest place for Dusty and her unborn child to be until they finally caught up with Steele and ended his madness. However, Kodi still refused to let his wife out of his sight, and had kept her close by for the past six hours.

As weird as it sounded, and crazy, Kodi didn't actually want his friends to find Steele. He wanted the chance to face Steele alone, and settle their problem dog-to-dog. Steele had said Kodi was a lot like his father, and the husky wanted to end this the way his dad would.

For now, he resolved to stay in the lobby with his friends, and wait out the storm. Unfortunately for them, the storm hadn't even started yet. Which meant that they'd be cooped up inside all night.

Still, maybe it wasn't that bad. Despite all the creaky floorboards, and the occasional leaks, the hotel was actually well insulated, the lobby felt nice and toasty inside. Kind of like the Old Mill back in Nome. And just like the Old Mill, the humans all sat in couches or chairs, eating and sharing stories with one another. The only thing Kodi regretted was that he wasn't able to relax and enjoy the night like them.

So when the last rays of sun began to disappear, forcing the humans to light lanterns inside the lobby, Kodi knew he only had a few minutes left to do what he needed to do. As much as he really didn't want to leave his wife's side, he knew it had to be done.

He whispered his intent into Kirby's ear, telling him about how he needed to go to the bathroom one last time before it got dark, much to his friend's concern. "Are you sure about this? That Griff guy said we shouldn't go off alone", Kirby reminded him.

"I'll just be right on the other side of the door. I'll be fine", Kodi said reassuringly.

"Well…maybe I should come with you?", Kirby suggested.

Kodi raised his eyebrow, and Kirby instantly regretted saying anything. "No, you stay here with Dusty and keep her safe 'til I get back", Kodi decided, however, his friend still looked unsure. "If I'm gone longer than ten minutes, then you can start looking for me", Kodi decided.

After remaining silent for almost minute (with Kodi well aware of the precious daylight that was slipping away with each second), Kirby finally nodded his head, and Kodi ran out through the lobby's dog door.

Once he was on the other side, Kodi breathed a sigh of relief. He never knew Kirby was so stubborn. Of course, he didn't really need to relieve his bladder. That was just a lie he made up because he knew it was the only one his friends would actually believe. It was the only shot he had of being alone for a few minutes. And right now, privacy was what the boy needed more than anything.

Kodi walked a few feet away from the hotel (well out of the earshot of his friends), closed his eyes, and sat down in the snow. Steele had been playing a game of cat and mouse with him all day, like he usually did with his adversaries. But Kodi had just changed the rules. It was a waiting game now. And he didn't have to wait long.

Only about a minute later, he heard the sounds of paws hitting the snow behind him, and Kodi's eyes snapped open. "Didn't take you long, did it? I thought about what you said this afternoon, so I knew you'd be waiting for me. After all, from what your teammates told me, you never could resist the chance to jump someone after dark", Kodi said, turning to face the malamute behind him.

Steele smirked. "You've got balls kid, I didn't think you'd actually face me. You dad always ran away from a fight like a coward", Steele said, obviously trying to rile the boy up. But Kodi paid him no mind, he knew all of the man's tricks.

"I came out here because we have to end this. This stupid feud between you and my family has been going on for eight years now, and I won't let it continue any longer", Kodi declared.

This time, Steele actually laughed out loud. "Don't tell me you're actually threatening me?", he chortled.

"If you want to look at that way", Kodi replied.

Steele didn't reply, only growling at the husky. Since his grin had finally disappeared, it was obvious the boy's response had made him angry, and Steele wasn't toying with him anymore. Which was good. Kodi was ready for the games to be over, so he could get this next part out of the way. Which is why he was unsurprised when Steele charged at him, and tackled the husky into the snow.

Of course, the pain of Steele hitting in the ribs hurt worst than anything Kodi had ever felt in life (and being a sled dog, he had went through quite a bit of punishment). But that was okay, he had had six hours to brace himself for this.

Kodi growled, and lashed out at Steele. However, the malamute dodged him, and aimed his own teeth for Kodi's leg. The boy screamed out in pain, and collapsed on the ground. Of course, he knew nothing about fighting, so he knew from the minute his mad plan to face Steele had appeared in his head that it would be a suicide mission. Still, he couldn't give up now.

He just laid there on the snow, screaming in agony, as Steele continued to bite down on his different parts of his body. Finally, when Steele got closer to his chest, Kodi snapped his head, and bit Steele on the shoulder as hard as he could.

The malamute's next reaction was instantaneous. He howled out so loud the whole street could hear him (though Kodi doubted the people in the inn could, since the furnace was burning). He then slapped Kodi across the face with one of his giant paws, knocking the boy backwards across the snow.

But before Kodi could have enough time to prepare himself for Steele's next attack, the malamute had already ran straight into him, and shoved the boy up against the wall, choking him with his two of his paws. When he saw how Kodi squirmed and wiggled, desperately trying to free himself from Steele's death grip, the sled dog grinned evilly. In his mind, he wasn't even fighting Kodi anymore. It was Balto he had pinned under his paws. "I'm gonna enjoy this", he said.

As Steele's paws grew tighter around his throat, Kodiak stopped fighting the pain, and allowed his arms and legs to go limp. He finally had Steele right where he wanted him. "Well, I hope you're happy", Kodi said, the words struggling to come out of his constricted windpipe.

"Oh, I am", Steele replied, before adding some pressure to the boy's neck, and grinning as he watched the wolf-dog's face turned even bluer.

"Griff was right, you are selfish", Kodi scowled.

"Why do you think I care about what that idiot thinks of me?", Steele scoffed.

"You don't. But I finally understand why you left before. Why you let my dad live", Kodi replied, changing the subject for some reason.

Steele rolled his eyes. "Which would be?", he asked, as he added one more ounce of pressure to Kodi's throat. Only a little bit more, and it'd all be over.

"Jenna. You did it for my mom", Kodi choked, as the passageway between his lungs and mouth closed all the way.

Steele's cold blue eyes widened, and the malamute's heart rate sped up a bit. It had been a long time since anyone had said the name Jenna to her, and he was so shocked that he couldn't help but relax his grip on Kodi's next a bit. Not a lot, just enough to allow a miniscule flow of oxygen to lungs. After being frozen in place for what seemed like forever (though for Kodi, it was only a few seconds), Steele composed his face, and his arrogant sneer returned. "What about her?", he asked indifferently.

"Blake said that you loved her. That's why you left. She asked you to let her go, didn't she? Before you left town the first time, she asked you to let her and Balto live in peace. And you agreed to it, because you thought there was still a chance she'd change her mind. That's why you attacked dad, and that's why she was so angry with you on the night you returned. Because you broke your promise to her", Kodi explained, before the wolf-dog screamed, as Steele's grip on his throat returned to full strength.

"Shut your mouth lobo! You don't know a thing about her or me!", Steele snarled, going from mad to furious in the blink of an eye.

"I know you cared about her, a lot. But not enough to keep you from being the same, selfish jerk you've always been. You broke her promise to her then, and you're still breaking it now", Kodi continued. He watched as Steele's expression grew angrier and angrier, but he was no longer afraid of the malamute. He knew where the man's heart lied now, and he knew this was his one chance to save him. He couldn't give up now. He had to keep talking, despite the pain in his throat and chest. For both his and Steele's sake.

"I know why you're doing this Steele. You want to hurt my dad. You want to spite him by taking away something close to him. Cause that's what bullies like you do. But when you thought of this plan to try and make him suffer, did you forget about mom? About the promise you made to her, to let her and her family live in peace? Because when she finds out I'm dead, it will destroy her", Kodi said tearfully.

He could still remember how things were after their family lost Aleu, just like it was yesterday. His poor mother had been absolutely devastated, and had been crying for months. The only thing that had kept her going was her hope that she would someday see her daughter again. But in this case, there was no hope for her son. No hope at all.

He looked down at Steele. Sure, the malamute still looked angry, and he still looked sort of like the devil incarnate. But Kodi could tell that Steele knew he was speaking the truth. He knew he had finally found the one thing they had in common, their love for Jenna, and that his words were getting through to him.

"If you want to kill me, fine. Go ahead and do it, I won't try to stop you. But if you're really gonna make my mom suffer like that, if you're really that selfish, then what everyone told me about you was true, and you never loved her at all", Kodi decided, his voice unexpectedly calm. The husky closed his eyes, as he felt Steele's grip on throat grow stronger.

After suffocating for almost a minute, his lungs were completely empty, and the boy's body had long stopped trying to pump air through the non-existent pathway. And after a few more seconds, his throat burned like the fires of hell. The only consolation Kodi had, the only good thing that managed to take his mind off the pain, was the knowing that it would all be over soon.

And then as quickly as it appeared, the pain was over. It disappeared, like it had never been there in the first place.

As he quickly sucked air back into his tortured throat, Kodi was dimly aware that Steele's paws were no longer on his neck, and that he was falling down towards the snow. But as he hit the ground, his main focus was on Steele. The malamute had let him go. He had a chance finish him, to finally get what he had obsessed about for so long, but he had set him free. Which meant there was still hope for him after all.

As Kodi staggered to his feet, he glanced at Steele's face again. The malamute's expression was flat and empty. His eyes no longer showed any sign of emotion, whether it was happiness, or sadness, or fury. For the first time in a long time, Steele actually felt calm. "You-", Kodi began, before he suddenly and harshly cut off.

"I'm only doing this because I don't want to hurt your mother. If you were any other wolf-dog, you'd be dead right now. Now go before I change my mind", Steele snarled.

Kodi didn't need to be told a second time. With his light-headed feeling now gone, the husky had full control over his body again. He stumbled across the street, and stretched his legs a bit (wanting to seem as normal as possible before he faced his friends again), and walked towards the inn's front door.

He glanced behind him, to see Steele still hadn't moved an inch from where he was standing on the sidewalk. It took him a moment to work up the guts (he had already pushed his luck enough, and he was worried he might stretch it to it's limits if he pushed the malamute any more), but Kodi decided to say something. "Steele…thank you. For keeping your promise to mom", Kodi said gratefully.

As expected, Steele didn't say anything, only glaring at the boy until he walked back inside the inn. He then looked up at the sky. Judging by all the dark clouds in the night sky, you didn't have to be a weatherman to guess the blizzard was only an hour away now.

**((()-()))**

But between the forests of Nome and White Mountain, the blizzard was already raging at full force, the wind mercilessly whipping Balto and his friends with snow and ice.

"Balto, it's getting pretty rough!", Nikki shouted, just barely able to see the wolf-dog walking next to him.

"We can't stop now. Besides, we've been through storms rougher than this", Balto reminded him.

"But are you even sure we're still going the right way?", Star shouted, walking close to Jenna to make sure the husky didn't accidentally get left behind.

"You have to trust me. Besides, it's too late to turn back now!", Balto said, trudging through the ever-increasing snowfall the best he could.

"Actually, your friend is right. If you're looking for the humans' next town, you are heading in the right direction. But you'll never make it there by yourselves", someone said from out of the darkness.

Suddenly, the blizzard no longer existed to Balto. Well, it was still going, and still as strong as ever, but it no longer had his attention, or the attention of his friends. They had all turned around to see a sixth canine had joined them. And that that canine was just one of many.

A gray wolf had appeared out of the snow storm. He and his pack had been following them for hours, curious about why domesticated sled dogs would so foolishly risk going into the forest on the night of a snowstorm. Now he knew why. The presence of their fearless leader was the only explanation he needed. "Balto, it's good to see you again", the wolf smiled.

_**Author's Notes:**_

What a crazy night for Kodi. And the craziness has only just begun. When I wrote "_**Salvation, Part 1**_", a year ago now, one of the main characteristics I imbued in Balto was his kindness. Instead of trying to hurt his enemies or simply kill them like Steele would, Balto actually tried to help them change, by extending his compassion towards him (you know, the deciding moment where he saved Wilson from certain death, while "_**I Am The Doctor**_" soared in the background?). Well, since Kodi is so much like his father and mother, it only makes sense that he would not only have their stubbornness, but also their sense of compassion, which would help him finally understand Steele (and hopefully save him from himself). As usual, more to come next week.


	7. Chapter 7

_**Chapter 7: Decisions, Decisions.**_

"Bane!", Balto exclaimed.

"Balto, it's been too long", the gray wolf replied. "And you Jenna, look as lovely as ever", he added.

"Bane! Has it really been six months?", Jenna asked, grinning.

"Feels more like six years", the gray wolf said, sharing Balto and Jenna's cheery mood. Balto and Jenna walked forward (to their friends' shock), and both started nuzzling the wolf on the nose.

"Um, is anyone gonna tell me what's going on here? Are we gonna get eaten or not?", Kaltag asked, confused.

Balto laughed, and shook his head. "No, Bane is old friend of ours. Jenna and I used to meet wolf packs all the time on our adventures, and we helped saved Bane's pack from some hunters once. They've been good friends of ours ever since", Balto explained.

"They helped save my family. I promised them that someday I would return the favor. Though, I thought that day might never come, when you suddenly stopped visiting. I thought you were dead my friend", Bane said, frowning a little.

"Sorry about that, my son and his wife are about to have a baby, and we've been busy supporting them", Balto explained sheepishly.

"I understand. Childbirth is turbulent time for the entire family", Bane said reassuringly.

"Kodi and Dusty are actually the reason we're out here. I think something's gonna happen to them soon, and I have to find them before it does", Balto explained.

"The universe has spoken to you in your dreams again?", Bane asked, curious.

"Yes", Balto replied, nodding.

"Then who am I to get in the way of your journey? I promised you that someday I'd help you in an emergency, and today I finally get to keep that promise. Me and my pack will come along with you the rest of the way", Bane decided.

Star's eyes widened as he realized what the wolf was suggested, and the husky tapped Balto on the shoulder urgently. "Wait, so we're already in the middle of the forest, during a blizzard, hopelessly lost, and you want us to trust a bunch of strangers?", Star asked, obviously terrified, as usual.

Balto frowned slightly. "Bane and his pack aren't strangers, they're family. Besides, it's either that or keep stumbling through the storm and hope that we either find town or bump into another pack of friendly wolves", Balto reminded him.

"Well, when you put it that way…", Star said hesitantly, his voice trailing.

"Alright then. Let's keep moving", Jenna said. Her and husband took their usual positions at the head of the group, walking side-by-side with Bane, while the rest of the wolf's pack walked next to a terrified Nikki, Kaltag, Star.

**((()-()))**

As the winds in White Mountain grew stronger, the walls of the local inn creaked more and more. And the wooden support beams whined and groaned every few seconds, like they were struggling to hold up the weight of the inn and the snow piled on it's roof. But the hotel guests paid the noise no mind. Most of them, including the animals, were fast asleep, hoping to dream their way through the rough night ahead. Some people however couldn't sleep, because they had too many things on their mind. Kodiak was one of them, and his musher, John Simpson, was another. "Still no sign of Steele?", John asked.

"No. The wind's already picking up out there. In an hour's time, nothing will be able to stay out there on those streets", Roger said sadly.

"Look, I'm sure Steele's fine. He's a pro, he knows what he's doing. He's probably hunkered down in some old abandoned building somewhere, riding out the storm like we are", John reasoned.

"He used to be a pro. But that was a long time ago. Now he barely even seems like himself. He just wanders off alone for hours at time. He doesn't want to work his team, I have to practically force him into his harness every day. He barely eats, I don't even thinks he sleeps. And he doesn't get into dog fights anymore. Like his pride, all that swagger that used to be in his step, is gone. It's like he's not really alive, he's just sort of moving his way through life. If he was human, I'd say he was in some kind of depression, but since he's not I have no idea what's going on with him. And I don't know how to fix it. And now he's gone off and done some foolhardy stunt like this", Roger said guiltily.

"Roger, you can't keep blaming yourself for everything that dog does", John insisted, hoping he could try and comfort the older man.

"Yes I can. I promised Gunnar that I would take good care of him. The whole reason he gave Steele to me was because I told him I could give his dog a better life with me than the one he had back in Nome. But if I had known that Steele would turn out like this, that he'd run off and get himself killed on my watch, then I would never have taken him away from his owner. I let him down. I failed my best friend", Roger continued, holding his head down in shame.

While John tried his best to calm down Roger down, Kodi watched the whole scene from across the lobby, the husky's chocolate-brown eyes filled with youthful sympathy. He wished he could help the man. But right, he could barely even help himself.

The husky had just barely managed to survive Steele's assault, and he had an even narrower close call even after the danger was over, when his wife and friends almost noticed all the spots where his fur was messed up. Now they were all lying asleep on the floor, while Kodi was the only one still awake, nuzzling his sleeping beauty and listening to the humans' conversations.

So before Kodi could even think about Roger's dilemma, he had to help Steele with his. After all, so far he had only done phase one of his plan to save Steele - which was getting him to stop being angry long enough to listen reason. Now it was time for Kodi to finish what he started.

He licked Dusty's head, and nuzzled his wife one last time. "I'll be back soon Dust", he whispered. Normally, he wouldn't have even dreamed of leaving her alone, and pregnant, during a blizzard. But for the first time since they were married, Dusty would actually be safer away from him than she would be with him. Then again, when they were promised to each other, they had both acknowledged that there would be good times in their marriage and bad times. And Kodi guessed tonight was part of the latter.

**((()-()))**

"So how you have been doing?", Bane asked suddenly.

"What do you mean?", Jenna asked, confused.

"You have visited in a while, and Balto told me about what happened with Aleu. I know that letting go of a loved one can be painful, especially on a mother, so how have you been holding up?", Bane asked the husky, as Balto and the rest of Kane's pack trekked further ahead of them. So far, the wolf-dog seemed preoccupied with finding their way through the storm.

"Fine", Jenna said curtly. But when she glanced at Bane again, she saw the wolf staring at her with a frown on his face. He didn't need to reply, she could already guess what he was thinking.

"You're lying", he said simply.

"Of course I'm lying", Jenna sighed. "It's just, I had always told Balto that we'd have to say good-bye to Aleu sooner or later, let her go on and find of home of her, maybe even start a family like we did. But when she finally did leave, I was a hundred miles away. And when Balto returned to Nome, alone, I just…lost it. I had had all that time to prepare myself for that moment, but it still hurt", Jenna explained, her voice breaking.

"Of course it hurt. There'd be something wrong with you if it didn't", Bane said comfortingly.

"Balto tried to help me the best he could, like the good husband he was, but he was still grieving just as much as I was. It took us a whole year before we were back to normal again. And now this happens. If something happens to Kodi and I lose him and Dusty too then…I'm not sure I'd be strong enough to go on this time", Jenna sobbed.

As tears started to flow down the husky's face (stinging her eyes in the sub-zero air), she stopped walking entirely, and sat down on her hind legs to cry. As her breakdown further spiraled out of control, she half-expected Bane to try and tell her something to calm her down. But what she got instead was two large paws on her shoulders, rubbing them gently in a move she already knew by heart. It was what her husband always did to comfort her when she was feeling sad. Without opening her eyes, she lifted her head to nuzzle the neck of the half-wolf she already knew was standing behind her. "You were eavesdropping", she whispered.

"Of course, that's what husbands do", Balto replied, but though his tone was as blasé as possible, anyone could tell he was still worried about her.

"You could still hear me, over all this wind?", she asked, though still keeping her eyes closed. She knew the burning feeling wouldn't stop until she stopped crying, which wouldn't be for quite some time. Until she did, she would just have to keep her eyelids closed for a little while longer.

"I can always hear you Jen. Always. You should have told me you were this upset", Balto said, rubbing her head now.

"So you could tell me to stay behind in Nome, where I was safe? No way", Jenna insisted.

"We're gonna find Kodi Jenna, and help him with whatever he needs our help with. And we're gonna find Aleu. I promise you. No matter how long it takes, or how hard we have to search, we will find her someday. And you'll get that good-bye you never got", Balto promised her.

Before Jenna could reply, the couple heard the sound of Bane clearing his throat. "Um, sorry guys, I understand you're having a husband-wife moment here, but if we're gonna reach White Mountain before sunrise, we've gotta keep moving", Kane reminded them.

Balto and Jenna hesitated, each one checking the other out to make sure they were okay, before both dogs stood up. Bane was right. The blizzard was already at full power, which meant that their senses would be all mixed up. And without the light of the moon to guide them, they couldn't afford to slow down, lest they risk getting off course.

As they were walking, Balto glanced at Jenna again. The husky seemed to be doing okay, she wasn't crying anymore, and she could stand up just fine. He knew she was trying to be strong, like he was, but he also knew it wasn't easy for her. It was never easy for a mother to lose a child, and this incident with Kodi only succeeded in bringing back all the pain and sadness she had fought so hard to control.

"You know, you really should have visited me sooner", Bane suddenly.

Balto groaned, his ears flattening. "I know, I know", he said, frustrated.

"No, I mean, you should have visited me sooner because it could have saved you and Jenna a whole lot of pain and suffering", Bane explained. "I know where you daughter is", he said.

And that was all Bane needed to say to grind their journey to a screeching halt, and restore hope in the heart of a mother who had long lost it. "What?", Balto and Jenna whispered at the same time.

**((()-()))**

Kodi shivered. The wolf-dog hybrid braced himself as left the warmth of the inn behind him, and stepped through the hotel's dog door. As soon as he went through the flap, he was met frigid cold temperatures, the ice cold wind slapping him right in the face. Kodi grimaced, but put on his best brave face as he made his way across the street.

You could barely see or hear anything over all the snow and ice, but a few feet away from him he could see a large, dark shape sitting on the edge of the sidewalk. Kodi knew there was only person in town foolish enough or suicidal enough to sit out in the middle of a snowstorm. Steele, sitting in the exact same place he had been for the past hour, like he was determined to just stay there and wait for himself to die.

"Steele!", Kodi shouted.

If the sled dog had somehow heard him over the wind, he certainly didn't show it. Steele didn't even flinch, as Kodi approached him from behind. It was only until Kodi was a few inches behind his head that Steele could ignore him no longer, and growled at the husky. "Shouldn't you be in there with your mate?", the malamute snapped.

"I came here to talk to you. To talk some sense into you", Kodi explained, before he braced himself for whatever Steele's next reaction would be.

But instead of being mad however, the malamute seemed amused by Kodi's concern. "You came here to talk some sense into me?", he scoffed, before laughing at the way Kodi shivered from the cold. "For a half-wolf, you're sure not very tough, are you?", he asked sarcastically.

"Steele, you've gotta come inside. Even you have to know that staying out here will only get you killed", Kodi reasoned.

Again, Steele seemed completely unfazed by the boy's worries, and simply rolled his eyes. "What do I have to live for? I've lost everything now. My job, my friends, my glory, my reputation. And I never even had Jenna in the first place. All I had left in life was revenge, and even that was taken away from me, because of that _goddamn_ promise I made to her", Steele growled.

"You haven't lost everything. You still have Roger. He's in there right now, driving himself crazy worrying about you", Kodi reminded him.

For a moment, Kodi thought he actually saw regret in Steele's eyes, before the malamute blinked and his cold state returned. "Piss off", he said, his opinion still unchanged.

Kodi frowned, and sat down in the ground (trying his best to ignore how insanely cold the snow was), right next to Steele. He wasn't going to give up that easily. "No", the boy said simply.

Steele growled at him, and shoved the boy with his paws, pushing him on his back in the snow. "I said…go", he ordered.

But Kodi wasn't afraid of Steele. Not this time. "And I said no. If you're staying out here, so am I", Kodi declared.

Steele stood up, and walked over towards him, obviously trying to intimidate him like he usually did what other dogs. By now, Kodi had gotten to his feet again, so him and Steele were looking at each other face-to-face, eye-to-eye. "Don't be stupid. You said it yourself, anyone who stays out here has a death wish", Steele reminded him angrily.

"Then don't stay out here then. Go back inside, and we'll both live", Kodi said simply.

As he expected, Steele no made effort to hurt him, or even last out him. He only stayed in the same place, fuming. After snarling and saying all kind of curses and obscenities under his breath for several minutes, Steele only thought of one thing to say to the boy. "You…you may look like your mother. But you're nothing but a meddling half-breed like your father", Steele growled.

Kodi smiled, and sat down in the snow again. "Thanks", he said.

"Damn it kid, why are you even out here?!", Steele demanded, sitting down next to him.

"Because I can't stand to see a fellow dog suffer", Kodi replied.

That was all it took to make Steele's scowl disappear, replaced by an amused smirk. "Fellow _dog_", he said to himself, laughing under his breath.

However, Kodi still didn't take the malamute's bigoted comment as an insult. Instead of making him angry, it only made him even more curious. He figured since he was already playing with fire, he might as well poke the bull some more with a stick. "Why do you hate wolves so much?", Kodi asked.

Steele wasted no time in answering. "Because you're nothing but savages. Wild savages, who only want to kill dogs, and undo everything we have with the humans", Steele said. He had said it with such a calm, even tone that it didn't take much for Kodi guess that the malamute considered his thoughts to be more of fact than opinion. Which is why Kodi couldn't stop his next, natural reaction.

Steele turned around and glared at that boy, as the half-wolf started laughing. "What?", he demanded, annoyed.

"It's just, for someone who hates wolves so much, you're a lot like one yourself", Kodi explained, before the boy was suddenly shoved down to the ground again, with Steele's entire body weight centered on his chest as the malamute stood on top of him.

"What did you just say?", he asked dangerously.

Kodi coughed, as he slid out from under Steele's body (a little surprised the malamute had allowed him to do so), while brushing the snow off his fur. "Well think about it, you said that wolves are nothing but bloodthirsty savages, who only think about killing and fighting, and ruining people's lives. But isn't that what you planned to do to me just this morning? Torture me by hurting my family and then kill me? Isn't that everything you used to do to dad?", Kodi asked rhetorically, raising his eyebrows.

Steele didn't reply, only sitting back down in the snow, and Kodi knew the only reason the dog was so quiet was because he couldn't argue with him. For the first time, he couldn't think of some snarky comment or prejudiced insult to throw at him.

"The way I see it, when we let ourselves give into that kind of hate, even the purest of purebreds are no better off than savages", Kodi said, before lifting his paw into the air. He hesitated for a moment, wondering about whether or not he was going too far with his plan, before putting his hand down on Steele's shoulder. The malamute tensed, but made no move to rip the boy's arm off, which meant he was doing good so far.

"Everyone I've talked to seems to think you're a monster. A cold-hearted bastard who only thinks about hating people and getting revenge all the time. But you're not. After all, you spared me. You let me live because you didn't want to hurt my mother. Just like before, you were willing to put your hatred aside for her sake. Which means, there might be a heart in there after all", Kodi noted, before Steele cut him off.

"Kid, enough with the sappy stuff already. I get it", the malamute said. But he didn't seem angry, only strangely calm. Calmer than Kodi had ever heard him.

"My point is, you've been hating for so long Steele. You've let it become your whole life. But now it's time for you to stop. There's another life for you, a happy with one with Roger, and it's right there in that hotel. It's not too late for you, you can still be a good guy. You can have a wife, and a family of your own. You already have a musher, if you and your team really commit to it, you can have a brand new career, one even better than your own one. All you have to do is-", Kodi reasoned.

"Alright, alright, I said I get it!", Steele snapped. Kodi flinched, and moved back, before he was surprised to see Steele getting to his feet. It seemed he had finally made up his mind. "I'll go inside if it'll shut you up", the malamute growled, as he walked past the boy.

Kodi grinned, and walked after the dog. "_Yes!_", the husky thought triumphantly.

As they walked across the street, Steele turned and glared at Kodi, causing the boy to stop in his tracks again. "You planned this, didn't you?", he asked angrily.

"Well…I came out here to stop you from giving up, but I knew you probably wouldn't listen to me. So I knew I probably had a fifty-fifty chance. But otherwise, I just got lucky", Kodi explained, stuttering.

Steele's scowl grew, and for a moment Kodi worried that the dog just might change his mind, before Steele spoke again. "You're so stubborn…just like your mother", the malamute grumbled, before turning and walking towards the inn again.

As Kodi followed him inside, he couldn't help but grin. He had just went from being the annoying half-wolf to the annoying meddler, which in Steele's eyes was the closest thing to a compliment you'd probably ever get.

But before they could go through dog, Steele stopped, yet again, and turned towards Kodi. "Before we go in there, I want you to know this meeting never happened. After we go in there, you and I are gonna ignore each other until you leave tomorrow morning. I'll stay away from you and your mate if you don't bother me. Do you understand?", Steele asked gruffly.

It took Kodi a moment before he realized what Steele was actually asking, and the boy's grin grew even wider, stretching his lips to the limit. Steele was actually suggesting a _truce_. He was willing to make an agreement between himself and a wolf-dog. Well, a wolf-dog's son anyway.

Steele groaned, and then growled to get Kodi's attention again as the boy's mind started to wander. "See, that's what I'm talking about it! You getting all googly-eyed on me over something like this. It's not like I'm telling you I like you and your kind, I'm just saying I'm not gonna kill you", the sled dog reminded him, his mood as sour as ever.

"Right. Sure, sure", Kodi agreed, though the grin on his face still reminded as the wolf-dog stepped through the dog door.

It had taken him a lot of hard work. He had suffered a lot insults and bruised bones, but Kodi's mission had been a success. He had got Steele to come inside, a chance there was indeed still hope for the malamute. And maybe, just maybe, there was a chance the boy's advice would have a long-lasting effect on him. Maybe now that Steele had let go of all that hatred he had been holding onto for so long, he could finally find that happiness he had been looking for his whole life.

Or maybe Kodi was just getting ahead of himself, just like Steele said. After all, these sort of things did take time. Lots of time. And Kodi still had one problem left to solve. How to explain things to friends, who were still clueless about-

"Get away from him!", Kirby shouted, bring Kodi back to reality. Apparently, when Kodi had slipped away earlier, his disappearance had not gone unnoticed. His sleeping wife woke up, noticed he was gone, and alerted the rest of his team. Not to mention Steele's team too. And now, after worrying about him for half an hour or so (Kodi really had no idea how long he had been gone), they had saw him reappear with Steele. Which was certainly not a good thing.

"Kodi? Where have you been? And why are you with _him_?", Dusty asked, scowling at the malamute standing next to her husband.

As Kirby, Ralph, Blake, Griff, Ron, Jake, and Hal approached, all of them baring their fangs, Kodi glanced at Steele. The sled dog had seemed so calm a few seconds ago (well, as calm as Steele could get anyway). But now the short temper that Kodiak dreaded so much had returned, as the malamute prepared to face the boy's friends head on.

"_Oh crap_", Kodi thought, groaning. No matter which way their confrontation went, this was not going to end well.

_**Author's Note:**_

So, I bet some of you are wondering…. If Kodi's made peace with Steele, then what's the horrible catastrophe that Balto dreamed about? And what does Bane know about Aleu? As the blizzard hits White Mountain full force, there are still plenty of questions to be answered.


	8. Chapter 8

_**Chapter 8: The Weapon of Words.**_

"Guys, chill! Steele's not going to do anything", Kodi insisted, quickly putting himself between Steele and his team.

"Are you kidding? He just said he was going to kill you and your family", Ralph reminded him.

"Yeah, I know he did. But he's not going to. Me and him settled this. So he's not going to hurt anybody", Kodi reasoned.

"Then he's lying. You know what Blake and Griff said. He can't be trusted", Kirby growled.

As soon as the malamute realized Kirby was accusing him of being a liar (which was true, but it still hurt anyway), Steele started to push Kodi out of his way. Knowing that he didn't stand a ghost of a chance of holding Steele off, Kodi proceeded to push Kirby and Ralph back instead. But unfortunately, both dogs were twice his size and weight, making it impossible for him to overpower them both. It was then that the rust and cream colored husky went from being worried to full-on panicking, as he realized he couldn't hold his friends off much longer.

"Well if you don't trust him, trust me! I know what I'm doing", Kodi insisted. He then glanced at Dusty, who was watching from the sidelines. While she still looked angry at Steele, who Kodi was so determined to protect for some reason, his wife also looked confused. Like she didn't know what to believe. "Dusty please, help me out here", Kodi begged, as he felt his grip on Steele's fur start to give out.

Though she hesitated at first, obviously wondering whether or not her husband had indeed lost his mind, Dusty barked at her teammates, getting Ralph and Kirby's attention. "Guys, listen to him. If Kodi thinks this guy will keep his word, then I say we trust his decision", Dusty said firmly.

"But…", Kirby argued.

"Might I remind you he's not just a rookie anymore? He's your lead dog now. And if you can't trust the judgment of your own leader, who can you trust?", Dusty asked, raising her eyebrow.

And with that last rhetorical question from Dusty, that was the end of the argument. Kirby and Ralph reluctantly backed off, and let an exhausted Kodi catch his breath and sink to the floor. Steele however, only growled at the pair, as walked past them, rejoining his own team.

When he approached his teammates, he was unsurprised to see they were all still angry with him. After all, he had threatened someone's life yet again, and puts all the necks on the line _again_ just to satisfy his own petty grudge. Their lead dog had once again acted selfishly, and acted on his desires without ever once thinking about how his actions would affect them. The only thing that had surprised them was what Kodi had just said, about how he made peace with the malamute.

And as usual, Blake, being the youngest, was the one who was the most hopeful. "Is it true? What the kid said?", the husky asked.

Steele sighed, and laid down on the inn's rug, sitting as far away from Kodi and his team as possible. "Yeah, I decided not to get rid of the runt after all", the malamute said simply, as he yawned lazily and closed his eyes.

However, he didn't allow himself to go to sleep, because he knew the mood, the atmosphere around him was still too tense, too awkward. He didn't even need to have his eyes open to guess everyone was still staring at him, with those same hateful expressions on their faces. "What?", the malamute snapped, opening his eyes.

Unsurprisingly, Griff was the first to speak up, since he was the one with the most to say. He obviously wasn't as impressed with Steele's change of heart as his boyfriend had been. "Did you really think you'd just waltz back in here, and act like nothing happened? That you'd be off the hook, just because you decided to show someone a little mercy this time and not pound them into oblivion?", Griff snarled, through clenched teeth.

"Did you ever stop and think about what you were doing to us? About how you're ruining all our lives too? Damn it Steele! Just because your life sucks doesn't mean ours have to be just as screwed up!", Jake added.

"No wonder your old team turned on you. They were tired of running with a selfish, ignorant jackass who didn't give a damn whether they lived or died everyday. I'd run with a wolf-dog any day over someone who'd sacrifice their own team just to spite someone", Griff spat.

Now, Griff had insulted people hundreds of times. Sometimes when he playfully teased his friends. Sometimes he did it to make a point. Sometimes he insulted people to get them back for insulting him first. And sometimes he said them just to be mean, like how he used to torment Blake during his 'straight days'. But this was the first time Griff had ever said something of that magnitude, and had been 100% sincere about it. The sled dog truly meant everything he had said, and no amount of snarky comments or mean-spirited barks could hide the pain Steele felt from being on the receiving end of Griff's fury.

That night had been a series of firsts for Steele. The first time he felt compassion for anyone else besides him. The first time he admitted he wasn't entirely selfish. The first time he had listened to a wolf-dog's advice. And the first time he had allowed himself to be hurt by another sled dog using only words as a weapon. Especially since he had just let Kodi talk him into letting down his emotional wall. A bold and stupid move.

Standing only a few feet away, on the other side of the lobby, Kodi and his team watched the spectacle with shocked eyes.

"_Oh snap_", Kirby thought, grinning as the malamute's team continued to let their lead dog have it.

But while his teammates were all pleased with Steele supposedly getting what was coming to him, Kodi was horrified by what he was hearing. The one thing on his mind was that not even Steele deserved something this cold and harsh. After all, he had tried to make an effort (even if it was a small one) to change. But now it seemed that all of Kodi's hard work had been for nothing. Destroyed by only a few simple words. And Kodi knew things had to be bad, if Steele was too hurt even to be angry.

"Steele?", someone asked.

Kodi and his team reluctantly tore their gazes away from Steele, to look at the other side of the lobby. All the barking and growling had apparently woke up the sleeping humans, including Roger and John.

"You came back", Roger gasped, as he ran up to the malamute and rubbed his dog on the head. As usual, Roger was completely unaware of what had just went on between Steele and the rest of his team, and how the dog was hardly in the mood for happy reunions.

As Kodi watched nearby, feeling guiltier than he ever had in his entire life (even guiltier than that time when he let his father go off in a snowstorm alone), the wolf-dog really wished Steele's owner had a better sense of timing.

**((()-()))**

Meanwhile, Bane and his pack finally neared White Mountain. Sunrise was only a few hours away, and they now had only less than a mile to walk before they reached their destination. Of course, Nikki, Kaltag, and Star, who hadn't faced a challenge like this years, were completed wiped out and were struggling just to stay awake. But Balto and Jenna paid no attention to how tired and sore their muscles were. They were too busy talking to Bane about a family matter.

"So how is she doing?", Balto asked.

"Is she healthy?", Jenna added, concerned.

"I don't know. I've never met her in person. But I heard all the stories about Nava and his pack, how it's now being led by the daughter of a wolf-dog. I had no idea the stories concerned you and Aleu", Bane explained. "But from what I know, Aleu is doing a fine job as pack leader. She's already led her people to new lands, and new foods. And she's kept them out of danger by keeping them away from the humans. With parents like you two, it's no wonder leading is in her blood", Bane said.

"Do you think you could take us to her, when this is all over?", Jenna asked, the husky's voice brimming with hope.

"Sure thing. If you don't mind long, perilous journeys that last for days, with both nature and the odds against you every step of the way", Bane joked.

"Would we be here if we didn't?", Balto replied, laughing. But beneath Balto and Jenna's joking exterior, Bane could see his new had done a great deal for them. Only a few simple words on his part had been enough to give the couple hope again, something they had been missing for years now, and gave them both the strength they need to keep forging on and find their son. So he could only imagine how high their emotions would be running on the day they finally found Aleu again.

Suddenly, and without warning, Bane split away from the pack, and sniffed a nearby tree. After rubbing his nose against the bark a few time (obviously trying to wipe away the snow to get a good whiff), he returned to Balto and Jenna's side, looking quite pleased with himself. "The smell of man is all over this place. They came here to chop wood not long ago, probably to light a fire for the blizzard. Which means we're almost there", the gray wolf announced.

Sure enough, beyond all the snow, and ice, and wind, and hail, Balto could see dim lights in the distance. Man-made lights, from the lanterns that lit the street at night.

"Kodi", Jenna whispered, running towards the front of the group. Balto was not far behind her, dashing past his sled dog friends along the way.

"Aw come on, it's gotta be 3:00 in the morning or something, and we just walked all night. Do we have to run now too?", Kaltag groaned.

"Don't worry guys, we're here!", Balto shouted, running side-by-side with Jenna as the lights of White Mountain grew ever closer. "_I just hope we're not too late_", Balto thought to himself, worried.

**((()-()))**

"God, all this noise is killing me!", Ralph moaned.

"Yeah, that hotel manager guy, Connor I think, he said this hotel's a hundred years old or something. It creaks like this every time there's a snowstorm", Dusty explained.

"So how do the humans sleep through all this torture?", Kirby whined.

"You know how humans are. They have such dull ears, they can sleep through anything. Besides, the inn's been making this noise all night, so they've had plenty of time to get used to it", Dusty reminded him.

"Yeah, but it actually sounds louder now. Like's it getting worse or something", Ralph argued.

Meanwhile, Kodi laid opposite to his wife, saying nothing about his friend's complaints. He heard the loud, ear-splitting creaks the walls were making just like teammates did, but he really couldn't care less about that now. All he could think about was how his plan had came so close to succeeding, only to fall short because of a few words. "It's just not fair", he mumbled.

"Hey, you're not still moping just cause that Steele guy got told off, are you?", Kirby asked.

"The guy's a creep, and a bigot. He got what was coming to him", Ralph added.

"Why do you care about him anyway?", Kirby asked, glancing at Steele, who was resting by his owner's legs on the other side of the room. It was where he had been for the past hour or so. And uncharacteristically, Steele hadn't said anything since then. He hadn't gotten angry over Griff's insult, nor had he given any indication about how upset it had made other than the sad look in his cold blue eyes. Like the malamute was an even hollower shell of a man than he had been before.

Kodi sighed, and stood up to look at his friends. "Steele's been the same for years now, he's been living with regret his entire life. I wanted to help him because I thought it was the right thing do. Because it was the kind of thing my dad would do. And for a moment, one silly, stupid little moment, I actually thought I could save him", Kodi explained, his voice low and downtrodden. "Still, it was a fool's dream", the husky resolved, before he felt two large paws rubbing his face.

"Hey, I think it was sweet that you tried to help. Not a lot of dogs would do that", Dusty reasoned, softly touching her husband's cheek with her hands. "And the fact you'd care so much about someone you don't even know proves I made the right choice when I married you", Dusty added sentimentally, before nuzzling her beloved on the chin.

Kodi smiled, and as much as he wanted to enjoy his wife's embrace, he couldn't. Because there was still something left unsaid between them. Something that needed to be said. "Dust, I'm sorry I've been neglecting you lately. I've been trying to be a good husband, and a good father. But so far I'm doing a horrible job", Kodi sighed.

"How so?", Dusty asked skeptically.

"By getting you involved in this whole mess with Steele. I thought staying away from you would keep you safe, but with this blizzard and everything, I'm not even sure that's the right thing to do", Kodi explained, frustrated.

"Hey, we're supposed to face stuff like this together. That's the whole point of the wedding vows. Have you completely forgotten everything Balto and Jenna told us, like two days ago?", Dusty asked sarcastically, grinning.

Kodi smiled again, and return his wife's affection. "Thanks Dust", he whispered. "I'll guess I'll have to worry about this Steele thing in the morning", Kodi decided, as he noticed the time on the lobby's clock. It was 3:30 in the morning. He had been up all night without a single bit of sleep.

"_We'll_ have to worry about it in the morning", Dusty corrected him.

"Hey keep it down over there, things are already noisy enough", Ralph mumbled. Despite all the complaining he had just done, the samoyed was still trying his best to sleep over all the noise.

"Sorry", Dusty said, lowering her voice. "Now come to bed Kodi, you'll think better when you've had at least an hour of sleep", Dusty suggested.

Kodi hesitated. Even though he really, _really_ needed to get some sleep, sleeping his problems away was the last thing he wanted to do at the moment. Because on one hand, doing so would feel like taking the easy way out, or simply pushing his problems off towards a later date. But on the other hand, he was _way_ too tired to argue right now, so the wolf-dog laid down next to his wife, and finally allowed his heavy eyelids to close shut.

He was out in seconds.

And he was awake again in seconds.

Kodi's eyes snapped opened, and the wolf-dog yelled, putting his paws to ears in an effort to block out the pain. The husky's eardrums hurt so badly they were practically throbbing inside his skin. The groaning noise the inn had been making all night had just got a thousand times worse, so bad the humans had all woke up from their naps to find their ears bleeding. And if the noise was that bad to them, you could only imagine the kind of damage it was doing their sharper-eared companions/

"Dear god, where is that noise coming from?!", Kodi screamed, writhing in pain on the rug. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see his wife doing the same. The pregnant husky rolled across the floor, moving further and further away from her mate as she struggled to hold her paws to her ears. The pain in Kodi's head was suddenly nothing compared to how it felt to watch his wife suffer through such agony.

And as the seconds dragged by, the noise still didn't cease, nor did it get any better. Quite to the contrary, it only seemed to grow louder, and more high-pitched. Like whatever was causing it was getting stronger…or weaker.

At the back of his mind, Kodi dimly registered the fact he recognized that noise. He had heard it before. Several times actually. But it's hard to think straight when your ears are bleeding. Finally, Kodi remembered where he had heard that noise before, and when he realized what was coming next, he almost wished he hadn't.

It was the sound of wood bending to it's limit, and then breaking.

He had heard it dozens of times before back in Nome. When he was a kid, roofs would sometimes cave in when too much snow was piled on top of them. It had never happened to house owned by Kodi's family, and the puppy had been quite happy about that. But as far as Kodi knew, the sound had never been this loud or this painful before. A simple rooftop couldn't be the cause of all this. And even if it was, it should have collapsed a long time ago, and the noise would have stopped by now. Which meant, more than just the roof was starting to give way.

Kodi remembered what Dusty had said, about how the inn was over a hundred years old, and how it always made this noise during a snowstorm. And how Kirby had commented on how the creaking had gotten louder and louder all night. If the wood had had an entire century to be worn down by the wind and rain, then the whole foundation of the hotel could collapse at any minute.

As he got to his feet, Kodi tried his best to ignore the pain and focus on what was important. After all, how could he think about how much his head was hurting him when he had to get his friends and family out of there, before it was too late? "DUSTY!", he shouted.

The canine inhabitants in the lobby had split into two. Dusty was all the way on the other side of the room, with Blake and a few other members of Steele's team, not to mention all the humans, who were desperately trying to find something to stop the bleeding. Meanwhile Kirby, Ralph, Steele, Griff, and Jake were all on Kodi's side of the room, having rolled their during the confusion.

"We've got to get out of here!", Kodi shouted, though he doubted anyone had heard him since their eardrums had stopped working a long time ago. After all, the boy barely even heard his own voice come out of his mouth, only a loud, constant ringing. If this continued for much longer, he would surely go deaf.

And then the noise climaxed, and all hell broke loose.

Kodi's eyes slipped away from his teammates, and he focused his vision on the ceiling above him. There was a large crack in the second floor, and little pieces of wood were starting to fall down into the lobby. And then those little pieces of wood started to become _big_ pieces of wood. And then those big pieces of wood started to become jagged shards, mercilessly raining down on the humans and dogs as they tried to find cover. But unfortunately, there was no time to run, and nowhere they could hide.

The rope holding up the lobby's chandelier snapped, and the glass candleholder hit into the floor at full speed, shattering on impact. By now, whole columns started break, and without their added support, the ceiling started to break loose from the walls. The crack in the second floor grew bigger, stretching from one side of the lobby to the other, until the entire ceiling was split in two. And that's when it fell.

The last thing Kodi had time to do was jerk his head to the right, and watch in horror as a hundred pounds of wood and glass fell down on his friends, his musher, and his wife. There was no way they could survive that. No possible way. And he only had half a second to take in the fact everyone he loved was dead, before the other half of the ceiling fell on him and Steele's team.

"_Dusty_", Kodi managed to say, before the wood landed on his head. He blacked out before he even had time to feel the pain. And maybe that was a blessing in disguise.

_**Author's Note:**_

Now you know what Balto saw in his dream. And now you know why him and Jenna ran all the way to White Mountain in a snowstorm to help their son. I think we would all be willing to do the impossible if we found out our kid was about to be crushed under a hotel. This disaster was actually foreshadowed back in chapter 5, but Kodi and his pals were so busy worrying about Steele that they paid it no attention.


	9. Chapter 9

_**Author's Notes:**_

Sorry for the two week wait guys. It wasn't because I wanted to torture you some more with that last cliffhanger (like I said in one of my last fics, I'm not evil). Before I could start posting again, I had to rewrite a few chapters, and add some new music to the finale (courtesy of Kodiwolf321). I've never had that much of an interest in singing, so I know nothing about it. But I know that songwriting is crazy hard, especially when you don't have a lot of time to improv something, so I have no idea how you come up with this stuff Tom. But I guess when you're a rapper, it just comes with the territory.

When I got back, I noticed there were plenty of new reviews (from both new readers and constant reviewers), and they all raise some pretty interesting points. So before the story begins again, I'm gonna take the time to answer some of them (while at the same time, mediating on some of the themes and motifs you guys pointed out).

* _**Unshippedcorpse**_ - No reason to feel bad, I understand. There are plenty of stories that I've wanted to review, but I didn't have time to. In fact, a lot of times I actually have to wait weeks before I can review something one of my friends wrote. And believe me when I said chapter 2 was a big one, and a crazy one (by the way, I'm curious, what's a FUBAR?). The introspectiveness of chapter 2 is actually my usual style of writing (I'm a huge Steven Moffat fan, the guy is a master when it comes to writing intricately-planned stories), but it's been a while since I wrote a chapter of that length.

My stories vary in their general plot ideas, but they also vary in scope and size. Some smaller ones like "_**Salvation, Part 2**_" take place in just one day, and have a calmer, more subdued plot. While other ones like "_**Salvation, Part 1**_" and "_**Erdan 2**_" cover numerous different story arcs, switch moods constantly, and take place over the course of several days, sometimes even years (so I wouldn't recommend trying to read one in just one day. Make sure you give those eyes plenty of rest, you'll need them for reading other Balto stories, stories far better than mine). But it's been a long time since my last Balto fic (an entire year), so I'm not sure I would have been able to pull this off with my collaborator's help to keep me focused.

* _**That Nerd Next Door**_ - Haha, Kodi is a persistent guy, isn't he? And a risk taker. Not a lot of guys would actually have the guts to face Steele, let alone have a conversation with him. But don't worry, all of Kodi's hard work will pay off soon. And as for the darkness in chapter 8, I love it too. The darker parts of a film are crucial to the plot, and work the best when they're completely unexpected. Like "_**Back to the Future, Part II**_" for example, one of my favorite time travel films. What started off as a joyful and spectacular trip into the future (underscored by some amazing fanfares by Alan Silvestri I might add, that mislead you into thinking the whole movie is gonna be some grand, futuristic adventure), suddenly turned into a nightmare, where Biff owns the town, Marty's dad is dead, and Lorraine is married to a monster. Thank god Marty and Doc got that sorted out. And now Kodi's got his own troubles to work out before this fic is over.

* _**Animation Universe 2005 **_- Actually, Kodi and Steele don't hate as each other as much as it seems. When Steele first met Kodi he saw him as a freak show, living proof that Balto stole Jenna from him and that life wasn't fair. But that's a little different now. A small part of Steele actually respects Kodi's bravery. He's impressed by how easily Kodi stands up to him, in the same way his mother wasn't afraid of him. And another thing Kodi got from his mom was his stubbornness, and the fact that he's always trying to look for the best in people, even when he's not really sure it's there (although that's actually a trait Balto has as well, Steele just never cared enough to pay attention).

* _**Brasta Septim**_ - Thanks. Whenever I read fanfics about Steele, I'm never quite invested in his character, because Steele is mostly written as some monster who's only interested in raping Jenna, killing Balto, and generally causing trouble for the dogs of Nome. Basically, he's the devil, a canine devil. Because that's all most people are interested in making him. Which is kind of a shame really, because there's so much potential in Steele's character.

I decided to give Steele a conscience so I could make his character a bit more three-dimensional. Instead of being some hateful creature who never thinks about his actions, Steele knows perfectly well what he's doing is wrong, but he simply doesn't care. Plus, giving him a conscience also gave me chance to paint him as the 'broken man' character that you always see in old westerns, the bad guy who actually turns out to be a good guy in the end.

I've written for straight characters before (dozens of times actually), and I've written for a bisexual rapist (Wilson was so sick and twisted, and I loved it), but this is the first time I've featured both gay and straight couples in the same story. I love it when slash fics focus on a certain pairing, but to be truthful, I think that having both gay and straight pairings in the same fic makes it a bit more realistic. After all, that's how our world works. We don't live in a reality where everyone's straight and homosexuality is just a myth. Nor do we live in a world where men and women are only interested in each other, and every straight guy is a either a homophobe or a gay basher.

I find that having a mixture of different characters makes a story much more believable, since everyone brings a little something special to the party. Plus, it gives you a chance to write that classic awkward scene where a guy realizes his best buddy is gay, and everyone is okay with it except for him (who's still shocked to even talk).

Some of the straight characters I've written for include Zhong and Shu (from "_**Erdan 2**_") and Balto and Jenna (from "_**Heritage of the Wolf**_"), but I've never written for Kodi and Dusty before now. It was kinda strange at first, writing for a pregnant character, but I did enjoy that scene where Dusty and Jenna talk about how annoying their husbands are. The unlikeliness of two tomboys like Jenna and Dusty having a 'woman's conversation' made it all the more interesting to me.

Writing for Blake and Griff was a lot of fun too, not just because they were gay, but also because they were polar opposites, and whenever they have a scene together they feed off each other's exchanges effortlessly. Their dialogue just flows so naturally for me. Basically, it's like imagining a young, naïve boy scout hooking up with a middle-aged biker, who just came out to his buddies. I'm not talking about the outlaw biker type, like those Hell's Angels guys. No, no, Griff's a brawler, for sure, but he's not a thug. He's more like the big, burly bear type (complete with a cowboy hat, bushy mustache, and leather chaps) that you desperately try to avoid making eye contact with in a bar. But at the same time, you wanna shake his hand just to see if he's really as scary as he appears. And lo and behold, instead of kicking your ass, the guy actually gives you a hug once you get to know him. That's the kind of guy I've always pictured Griff as. The tough guy with a soft side. Just like Kodi and Dusty, their relationship felt kind of weird to me at first, but overtime it started to feel right.

And yes, I do enjoy building suspense throughout a story. A lot of my friends hate cliffhangers in TV shows, but I love them. A good TV cliffhanger presents you with a question, and lets you speculate about it for a week (sometimes a few months), before doing something completely unexpected that blows you away (most of the time anyway. "_**Doctor Who**_" is almost always brilliant with theirs, but "_**Smallville**_" always did struggle to properly resolve their cliffhangers).

Here, the revelation about this story is that Steele _isn't_ Kodi's enemy that he needs to overcome, mother nature is. It's actually been hidden in plain sight this whole time, but I've managed to keep Kodi and his friends from noticing it sooner by distracting them with Steele. Because, when you're being chased by a maniac on the night of a snowstorm, which you gonna worry about more? The blizzard or the bad guy? The bad guy of course. We almost always take nature for granted. We sometimes let our guard down foolishly before a storm, Hurricane Katrina back in 2005 was an excellent example of that. But perhaps it's just a part of human nature. We're afraid of things we can see and touch, like another person, but we laugh at invisible forces that are beyond our comprehension, like nature for instance (Dusty laughed when Kaltag told her about the blizzard, a foreshadowing of things to come).

* _**MattKearneyfan**_ - I figured it was best to save this one for last, since this last message is so long.

Seriously dude? Seriously? You didn't even read this fic, and you don't even know who I am, but I'm the one who's pathetic? I'm not the guy attacking some random stranger. Still, I understand that everyone has their opinions, and that not everyone might be comfortable with the idea of gay fanfics as well as straight ones. And I was willing to respect that. Until you PM'd me, just so you could insult me again. That's when you crossed the line. But that's all over now. Words were said, and I'm pretty sure I let you know where my opinion stands about this project. And for the sake of another's author's dignity, I won't repeat what I told you. Also, I don't know who reported his comment as abuse, but whoever it was I thank you. Sometimes it sucks not having the time to log on until the weekends.

Now I know why there aren't many slash fics in the Balto category. Too many gay users here are afraid of guys like that (again, I'm respecting his dignity by using the nicest word I can think of to describe him). I won't be intimidated, and I certainly won't stop writing this project just because of what you think of it. Kodiwolf and I have worked far too hard on this to give up now. So I'm putting this here as message for other gay users, in the hopes that it will help them somehow. Don't ever let guys like that put you down. And don't ever let them convince you that you're the ones who are sad or pathetic.

Sometimes when you're alone, fiddling with some pens and pencils to pass the lazy days by, an idea pops into your head. It's wild and crazy and no one's ever thought of anything like it before. You write it down on some paper so you don't forget it, and when the next day comes you expand on it. You write it, then you rewrite it, and finally you share it with the world. And that's what being a writer is all about. Some could say it's about making a profit, and becoming world famous. But I think it's about having fun, and telling stories. Conjuring up those madcap little ideas of yours, something special and unique that only you could think of, and then sharing it with others.

And to deny someone that, just because you don't agree with them on something, is just wrong. Wrong and mean-spirited. Like someone being told to shut up by his own peers, just because he had the bravery to speak out in a crowd. Like my good friend Ani said, freedom of speech is a right. It is a part of everyday life. And if someone doesn't like what you have to say, to hell with what they think. After all, do you think all the great scientists and inventors in history cared when everyone said they were crazy? Most of the naysayers didn't even take the time to learn about their experiments before they branded as the deluded dreams of a madmen. And it's the same with stories on this site.

Most of the purists, like MattKearneyfan, don't even read the stories they're flaming before they start insulting people. But as long as they're harmless and good-natured, your ideas belong with the others. The guys who joined this site, the ones who have no intention of doing anything but humiliating others, they're the ones who should be ashamed of themselves. And I hope that that MattKearneyfan guy never does anything like this to another user again (but I know he will).

This message was put here for every guy and girl who's ever thought about writing a fanfic on this site, but was too worried about what others would think of it. I hope this fic inspires others to stop being afraid, and to start writing more Balto fics.

Sure Dusty and Kodi can be a thing if you want them to be (they are a pretty cute couple). After all, what's the whole point of writing fanfiction if you're just gonna stick to everything that happens in the movie? That takes all the fun out of it. So forget about what the purists think, and concentrate on what _you_ wanna do with _your_ story.

If it's silly, then it's silly. Not every story has to be a tear-jerking drama. And if it's a song-fic, then it's a song-fic. A little music always livens the mood (just make sure you give credit to the artists and their record labels, unless they're your own compositions). I'm looking at you Tom. The next time you decide to write a song-fic, keep those mad beats of yours coming. And for all you Balto fans out there playing on my team, Balto and Steele can be a thing if you want them to be too. I think we've all toyed with that idea in our heads at least once.

If people don't like your stories, then forget about what they think. At least you can have the satisfaction of knowing you were brave enough to put your ideas forward. And like I said before, that's what being a writer is all about.

There's also one last thing I want to say. Animation Universe, Kodiwolf321, neither one of you guys are gay, but you've both supported me throughout my past four stories (some of this stuff has gotta uncomfortable for straight guys to read, but you stuck by me nonetheless). So I feel cannot say this enough. You two are two of the most brilliant, open-minded people I have ever met, and I'm proud to have you guys as my best friends on this site.

Anyway, I've babbled on enough for one chapter. I know you're all waiting to get back to the story, so I'll continue right where we left off two weeks ago, with Kodi and Dusty being trapped under a hotel.

_**Chapter 9: Desperate Times Call For Desperate Measures (An Unlikely Alliance).**_

Balto tore through the snow. He paid no mind to the wind that was burning his eyes, or the aching, throbbing muscles that felt like they were gonna rip apart inside his legs. He didn't care that he had been walking for nine hours, and that his middle-aged body was close to giving out from exhaustion. The only thing on the wolf-dog's mind was finding his son and his daughter-in-law - _saving_ them. Because he had just heard the noise. The horrible, ear-shattering noise that he heard before in his dreams. It had been clear as day to his supersensitive ears, even over the noise of the blizzard. That sound of White Mountain's inn collapsing was just as terrifying as he remembered it being.

Of course, hearing it in the real world had been much, much worse than hearing it in his dreams. Because now he knew he was too late. All his efforts to warn Kodi had been naught, and now the only thing he could do was try and get to his son before he lost too much blood, or he ran out of air, or succumbed to some other fatal injury (god forbid if he already had). As the hybrid and his friends burst into White Mountain, heading towards the direction of the ruined inn, he didn't even hear himself scream his son's name.

**((()-()))**

Kodi didn't know how he was still alive. He should have been dead. After all, a _building_ fell on him. Or at least, part of a building. But here he was lying on his back, and bleeding onto the wood that surrounded him. It was pitch-black under the rubble, and his night vision (one of a wolf-dog's many heightened senses), was the only thing allowing him to make out basic shapes. He could see some other dogs were buried with him. Some were just lying on the floor, either unconscious or groaning like him. Others were moving around and forcing themselves to stand on all four feet.

For a moment, Kodi struggled to figure out how they could move around when they were supposed to buried underground. He wasn't good at thinking under pressure. And then, he realized that he didn't feel anything crushing him. Sure there was wood all around him, and under him, but none on top of him, or the other dogs. If the ceiling had really on them, they should have all died instantly.

Instead, a few large boards of wood had fallen down on Kodi's head (knocking him out for a few minutes), but otherwise at least half of the lobby was still standing, along with half of the second floor above it. But the building itself was still unstable. And just because that part of the hotel hadn't fallen did with the others didn't mean it couldn't collapse at any minute. And Kodi had to move now before that happened.

The boy groan, and stretched his muscles. Before he could go anywhere, he had to get used to using his limbs again.

"Kid, are you okay?", he heard someone say from the darkness.

"Griff?", Kodi asked, confused. Now that his head was working again, the wolf-dog would recognize that gruff voice anywhere. "Where are you?", he asked.

"Right here", the husky replied, his darkened shadow joining Kodi's side.

"Where are the others?", Kodi groaned, as his head continued to throb.

"Your pals, Ralph and Kirby are here. Steele and Jake are both fine too. A little banged up, but we've been through much worse. But the humans…", Griff reported, trailing off towards the end.

"What about the humans?", Kodi asked, his eyes widening. And then, he realized something. Something horrible. Griff had only said Steele and Jake's names, he had left out Ron and Hal. Not to mention his boyfriend Blake "_I can see him forgetting about the others, but there's no way he'd forget to mention Blake. Something's wrong_", Kodi realized.

What's more, he hadn't said Dusty's name either. And the wolf-dog didn't smell her scent anywhere around him. Just the smell of wood and blood. The blood of both humans and canines. And that little realization was enough to send Kodiak into a frenzy. "Griff, where are the others? Where's Dusty?!", Kodi demanded, panicking.

"Kodi, listen to me. We're okay because this part of the hotel didn't collapse. It's still holding…for now. But the others weren't so lucky", Griff said solemnly, before glancing to his right.

Kodi followed his gaze, and stared into darkness, squinting his eyes so he could focus in on whatever the sled dog was looking at. To his horror, he didn't see anything. Nothing but a wall of broken, splintered wood. The entire second half of the lobby, the spot where the humans and his wife had just been standing a few minutes ago, was gone. Destroyed beyond the point of recognition. And there was no way to get to what was left.

"_Dusty_", he whispered.

"Kid-", Griff began, before the hybrid shoved past him, and slammed into the wall, screaming his wife's name.

"DUSTY! CAN YOU HEAR ME?! DUSTY! SAY SOMETHING!", the boy bellowed, as he shoved against the wood will all his might. Of course, Kodi knew perfectly well that one dog couldn't be able to tear down that much rubble. But he also knew he didn't care. His beloved, his whole reason for existing, was being buried alive, and he didn't know how much longer she could last under there. Not to mention the unborn child in her stomach, who was surely the most susceptible to injury. He would move entire mountains if he had to to save them.

"Kodi, stop it before you hurt yourself!", Griff ordered, reaching out to grab Kodi's shoulder before the wolf-dog pushed him away.

"I don't care! Don't you get it?! She's dying under there! I'm losing her right now, and I'm not just gonna let that happen!", Kodi reasoned. However, the boy's anger was nothing compared to outburst he triggered from Griff.

The older husky suddenly lost it, grabbing the younger boy, and shoving him into the wall. Even though it was still dark under the rubble, Kodi could see angry, twisted look in Griff's eyes as clear as day. Apparently all the husky's attempts to stay calm and collected had come to an end the minute Kodi had snapped at him.

"You think I don't know how much it hurts kid?! Blake's trapped down there too! My boyfriend is being crushed by this goddamn hotel and there's not a thing I can do about it! But instead of getting myself killed like a fucking idiot, I'm actually trying to save my energy so I can help the others get to him! And if you really love your wife, then you'll come over here and give the others a hand instead of screaming at a wall all night!", Griff snarled, before turning his head towards the other side of the room.

Sure enough, all the other dogs that Kodi had noticed before were grouping together, and grabbing pieces of wood in their mouths (being careful to avoid jagged, broken edges).

Suddenly, a third shadow joined them, one that unmistakable belonged to Steele. "I hate to admit it, but the blowhard's right Kodi. The only way we're getting the others out of here is if we stay calm", Steele said. The malamute glanced at teammate, raising his eyebrows amusedly as he watched how the bigger dog manhandled the smaller husky. "You can let go of him now. Before you rip his shoulders off", Steele added.

Griff hesitated, and glared at Kodi again, checking the boy's expression to make sure he wouldn't do anything stupid again, before he released him. After he had a second to cool down, the husky sighed. "Sorry about that kid. I guess I lost my cool there", Griff said, apologizing to the boy for the second time that night. Apparently, he hadn't made as much progress in anger management as he thought he had.

"Don't worry, it happens to the best of us", Kodi insisted, as he rubbed his sore shoulder again. He glanced at Steele, raising his eyebrows. "Steele, you're actually helping? I thought you'd still be sulking", Kodi asked.

Steele grinned, and shook his head. "Don't get me wrong. I still can't stand any of you, and don't think I've forgotten about _you_", Steele said, before scowling at Griff.

However, the husky still looked indifferent to Steele's threats. "I wouldn't want you to", Griff replied, unworried.

Steele's scowled deepened, before he looked back at Kodi, deciding it was best to forget about Griff for the moment. "But that can wait until later, when we're not gonna die. You…you were right kid. Sometimes there are more important things than rivalry", the malamute admitted.

Both Kodi and Griff were speechless, neither one knowing whether or not to believe what their ears were saying. Steele, one of the most stubborn dogs in all of Alaska, was actually admitting he had been wrong about something. "Do you really mean that?", Kodi asked hesitantly.

"A sled dog's purpose is not just to win races. My father always used to tell me we were bred to help people. I lost focus of that during the serum run. Jenna tried to tell me that, but I didn't listen to her, and I almost got a lot of innocent people killed because of it. But I won't make the same mistake here. I may not be a champion anymore, but I'm still a sled dog, so I'm gonna get you and your wife out of here", Steele promised, before all the wind was knocked out of him.

For a moment, the malamute panicked, and thought the rest of the hotel was collapsing. Before he realized it was only his lungs that were being crushed, and not his whole body. And the reason his chest was being starved of air was because Kodi was squeezing all the life out of him.

"Thank you! Thank you!", the husky shouted gratefully, hugging Steele as tightly as he could while ignoring the surprised stares of all his friends.

Steele's eyes widened, and the malamute froze, not knowing what to say or do next. No one besides his musher had touched him in years, let alone hugged him. And to be honest, being hugged by the son of his worst enemy was more uncomfortable than anything Steele had ever done before. All the malamute could do was steel himself, and clear his throat awkwardly, as the embrace went on much longer than he wished it would.

Like he mentioned before, he hadn't been touched by anyone in years, and he was starting to like the feeling of Kodi squeezing him. And it didn't help that Griff kept staring at him with that stupid grin on his face. Eventually, he had to say something, before he started to go soft. So he did what he did best, ruin the moment with detached sarcasm.

"Jesus kid, you have a wife. The one who's waiting for you to come save her? Are you gonna cheat on her with me, or are you gonna pitch in already?", Steele groaned.

"Right, right", Kodi stuttered, as he released the malamute from his grip. The husky took a moment to compose, and looked back at Steele, noting the wary expression on the malamute's face. "Okay, where do I start?", Kodi asked.

It had been a long time since Steele had taken charge of a mission like this (properly anyway). But now that they were in a life-or-death situation, his old leadership instincts were kicking in. And he knew exactly what they needed to do. "Go make yourself useful and join the others. There's not a lot of dogs here, but there's enough to form a chain. If we can move enough of this wood outside those doors, we should be able to reach the others in time", Steele explained, diverting Kodi's attention to the other side of the room. While half of the lobby was destroyed and buried under rubble, the front doors were still standing. After all, all the cold wind had to be coming from somewhere.

"But that could still take too long. I mean, there's only five of us here, we wouldn't be moving that fast", Kodi reminded him, concerned.

"Well that's the best bet we've got right now kid. Unless you can just magically make a dozen other dogs appear", Steele said sarcastically.

Kodi sighed, and nodded his head. He was about to walk off and join Ralph and Kirby, when a loud noise carried out over the wind. The sound of someone screaming.

Kodi and Steele froze right where they were, and turned to face the door. For a second, they had both heard something impossible. They thought they had heard the sound of someone screaming Kodi's name from outside the doors, in the middle of the blizzard. They were right.

"KODI! DUSTY!", the noise continued.

As if the idea of someone being outside, in the middle of a snowstorm, wasn't ridiculous enough, Kodi could have sworn he had recognized the voice. He hadn't heard it lately, but he'd no it anywhere. After all, why wouldn't he? He'd heard it millions of times before. The voice of the man screaming outside belonged to Kodi's father.

"Dad?", Kodi whispered. And in a short fraction of second, there were two voices screaming out through the wind. "DAD?!", Kodi yelled.

When he didn't get a reply this time, the boy thought for a moment he had imagined the whole thing. But the fact that Steele was completely silent next to him proved that he hadn't. If Kodi really had been talking to imaginary voices in the wind, Steele would have been the first one to tell him he was losing it. But instead the malamute seemed to be just as surprised, and in denial, as he was.

"Bingo?", he whispered to himself, before the malamute's eyes narrowed, and focused on the door. Or rather, on the dog door at the bottom of the door.

Kodi followed his gaze, and watched as a large brown canine slipped through the square opening, followed by red and white blur, and several streaks of gray. Though, the gray ones seemed to have more trouble fitting through the door than the other streaks. Pretty soon, you couldn't even see the dog door anymore, it was blocked from everyone's line of vision by at least a dozen canines, half of which Kodi recognized by instinct.

"Mom! Dad!", he said, before running up and hugging his mother as tightly as he could.

"Kodi!", Jenna sobbed, her tears wetting her son's fur, though Kodi left a few tears of his own on his mother's shoulder as well.

As much as it pained both of them, Kodi and Jenna separated, and the husky glanced at his father, noting the relieved grin on the half-wolf's face. Standing next to him was five or six wolves that Kodi didn't know, and three dogs that he did know, Nikki, Kaltag, and Star - his dad's old buddies from his sled dog days.

"How can you all be here?", the husky asked in disbelief.

"Your dad thought you might need us, so we walked all night to get here. I see he was right", Nikki asked, whistling as he glanced at the huge wall of rubble that divided the room.

"Kodi, are you alright?", Balto asked, concerned. Even though Kodi seemed okay, there was something that still didn't feel quite right. A certain atmosphere in the room that told the wolf-dog that something was wrong from the minute he walked in through the dog door. There was something big right in front of him, but he just couldn't see it yet.

Kodi's grin faded, and the husky's face became deathly serious again, almost regretful. "I'm fine. But it's Dusty, she trapped with the others. We've about to try and get her out, and Steele's helping the best he can-", Kodi explained.

"Steele?", Balto asked, the hybrid's yellow eyes widened, and then snapped upwards. He finally realized what it was that he was missing. What he had been too focused on Kodi to notice earlier. Out of all the dogs in the room, and wolves, one stood out. A familiar black and white malamute who just stood behind Kodiak, not saying a word or making any effort to move. He just stood in one place, staring at the wolf-dog and his family with an expression that didn't look like his usual sneer of hatred, but not exactly happiness. It almost looked wary, like the malamute didn't know quite what to expect for once.

"Steele?", Jenna whispered.

Kodi grimaced, and the husky glanced at Steele, before looking back at his parents. His folks and the people they brought with them all donned the same expression at the same time. They didn't look afraid, instead they looked angry, like they were readying themselves for an attack. Or perhaps to launch an attack themselves.

It took Kodi a moment, before he remembered that his family's last encounter with Steele hadn't ended on exactly the best of terms. And while him and the malamute were allies now, his parents knew no nothing of the progress Steele had made over the past 24 hours. In their eyes, he was the same evil monster he had always been. "Ooh…I guess I should have told you about that part first", the husky said nervously.

**((()-()))**

"_Kodi_", Dixie whispered. The husky groaned, and she struggled to free herself from her prison. But she knew it was no use. Even she could move her legs, she would still have nowhere to go. She was buried alive. There was wood below her, around her, and even on top of her. Even if it wasn't for the freezing cold draft coming from the blizzard outside, she'd be worried about running out of air.

She knew it would be a long time before anyone could reach her. The humans wouldn't be able to examine the hotel until after the blizzard was over, which probably would be for hours. It was up to Kodi and the rest of the team to help her. Or at least, half of her team. Since a lot of people and sled dogs were buried along with her. They would all die from hypothermia soon, unless someone took action.

But it wasn't her own life that Dusty was worried about. But rather the life of her unborn child, who was probably freezing to death inside her stomach at that very moment. Without the fireplace to keep him warm, Dusty's little baby was exposed to harsh, mercilessly wind of an snowstorm. And if hardy, experienced veterans had succumbed to cold in a matter of hours, she knew a child (protected by his mother's skin or not), would only last one. Maybe two, if he was lucky.

"_Kodi, please hurry_", she thought, sobbing. It had been years since she cried like this. A cool girl like herself loosing control her of her emotions was completely uncharacteristic. But if any a time ever called for tears, this was it. This one was one of those days Balto and Jenna had warned them about. When a parent's love for their and their family was put to the ultimate test. A test neither her or Kodi could afford to fail.


	10. Chapter 10

_**Chapter 10: Till Death Do Them Part.**_

"Steele?", Jenna asked again. Even after staring at Steele for at least a minute, the husky still seemed to have trouble acknowledging his presence.

By now, Steele seemed to have regained his composure, and had moved a few inches in the last minute. But even though he now had a large scowl on his face, sneering right at Kodi's father, the malamute hadn't made any sort of move to attack the hybrid. And Kodi figured that was a good thing.

"What the hell are you doing here?!", Nikki growled.

"What did you do to Kodi?!", Kaltag demanded.

"I didn't do anything to him. Just ask the little runt", Steele said, gritting his teeth.

"Well you must have been planning to", Jenna glared.

"Mom, dad, it's okay. He's telling the truth", Kodi insisted.

"You don't know what he's capable of like we do Kodi. You can't believe anything he says", Star replied, deciding to join in the conversation.

"But I do. There were plenty of times he could have killed me tonight when you weren't here, but he didn't. Heck, I even invited him to a couple of times", Kodi explained, before the husky bit his tongue, albeit a bit too late. Sometimes, he really did talk too much for his own good.

"You _invited_ Steele to kill you?", Balto asked incredulously.

Kodi gulped, realizing he had once again said the wrong thing, and then nodded. "That came out wrong. It sounds a lot worse than it actually was", Kodi said, deciding it was best to lie, for both his and Steele's sake.

When his father still didn't reply, only continuing to glare at Steele, Kodi sighed. "Look, I know we've all fought each other in the past. Steele kicked me in the head when I was a pup, and I bit him on the leg", Kodi said.

Steele smirked, and rolled his eyes, causing Kodi's eyebrow to raise his eyebrows ever-so-slightly at him. "You didn't exactly draw blood kid. You'd get your ass kicked in a real fight", the malamute said smugly.

"_You're not helping_", Kodi growled under his breath, glaring at the black and white dog almost as intensely as his father was.

Steele frowned, but silently decided to follow Kodi's advice for once and keep his mouth shut.

"But this isn't about us anymore. It's about Dusty and all the people trapped in this hotel. If we're gonna get them all out of here, then we're gonna have to do it together, whether we like it or not", Kodi explained. And then, completely unexpectedly, Kodi grinned, and looked back at his father. "And isn't that what being on a sled dog team is all about? Putting up with a bunch people you can't stand and bringing them all together for the greater good?", the boy asked.

Balto hesitated, and looked at Steele again. Even he had to admit there was something different about Steele than the last time he had seen him. The malamute had actually joked about something. He had made a joke about Kodi, the son of a wolf-dog, and it hadn't been deliberately malicious. And that wasn't normal for Steele. Not normal at all.

And when he looked into Steele's eyes, the cold blood orbs that had haunted his nightmares for so long, he didn't see what he always saw in them. Yeah, sure Steele looked pissed off like he always did, and close to snapping, but there were a few things different. Balto didn't see hatred in his expression, nor did he see any rage or aggression, just frustration. Instead he saw something that looked almost like worry. And beneath the worry, he saw the most impossible of things.

Regret.

When Steele looked at Jenna, every time he saw the husky, Balto could see regret flash across the malamute's face for a few brief seconds. Like it hurt him to look at her, knowing what he had done to her a few years prior. How he had broken his word to her.

The Steele Balto knew, the heartless bully that had tormented him for years, never felt regret about anything. You'd need to actually have compassion for others to feel regretful about something.

The Steele that Balto was looking was at now wasn't the proud, boasting troublemaker that everyone in Nome feared. But instead a sad, broken man, who was being forced to face the demons of his past. And for the first time in his life, feel real fear and regret.

Balto had a feeling Kodi was the reason he was so willingly facing his emotions. After all, this sort of change couldn't have just happened for no reason. And Kodi was quite possibly the only thing besides himself and Jenna that could have triggered it.

That was why Kodi had so much faith in the malamute, and that was why the boy was begging his father put all his trust in his worst enemy, for the sake of his daughter-in-law.

"Please dad, you have to do this. The longer we stand around here arguing, the longer Dusty and the others are exposed to the cold. And you've been in blizzards for years, you know what'll happen if we wait", Kodi reasoned.

Again, Balto looked at Kodi, and then at Steele. "Kodi, do you really think you can trust him?", Balto asked doubtfully.

Kodi hesitated, and looked behind him, before sighing. "Maybe, I don't know. But like I said, we don't have time to worry about that", the husky restated.

"Well then…you're right", Balto decided.

"WHAT?! You can't be serious!", Kaltag asked, running up to the hybrid's side.

"Kaltag, we didn't come here to start a fight, we came to help Dusty, and that's just what we're gonna do", Balto reminded him.

Kaltag frowned, and growled at Steele again, before he resigned to his thoughts.

However, Balto still wasn't finished yet. There was still something important left that needed to be said. "Nikki, Kaltag, Star. Before we begin, I need you all to give me your word that you'll trust me _and_ Steele, and do whatever we need you to do. It's important that I can rely on all you to ignore your own feelings and focus on the crisis at hand", Balto insisted.

The three sled dogs raised their paws, and rubbed the back of their necks, while Jenna and Kodi watched their father anxiously. For a moment, the boy and his mother were afraid that Balto and Kodi's plan would never work. That the wolf-dog was asking too much from his most loyal of friends. Meanwhile, Steele just watched from a distance, still keeping quiet like Kodi asked him to. Finally, Kaltag decided to answer Balto's request. "Putting up with people you can't stand for the greater good. Just like the old days, right boss?", the husky asked, grinning at Balto.

Balto smirked, and nodded his head. "Exactly", he said, before turning towards the wolf pack behind him. "What about you guys? We could use all the help we can get right now. Do you think you'd mind getting involved in canine affairs and helping us out, just this once?", Balto asked hopefully.

The lead wolf smiled, and placed his paw on Balto's shoulder. "After what you and Jenna did for me, it would be my honor", Bane said reassuringly.

Balto smiled, before turning around and steeling himself. Now came the most difficult part, the part he had saved for last. He ignored all the other dogs and wolves in the room, and focused on the malamute in the corner. "Steele-", the hybrid began.

"What is it wolf-dog?", Steele asked impatiently.

Balto frowned, but then tried to refocus his thoughts. After all, it was Steele he was talking to. It's not like he had expected the malamute to call him by his real name. He would actually have to respect him for that. In fact, the hybrid was surprised Steele was still being this civil, considering the circumstances of their last meeting.

"Steele, I already know I can trust the others. They've all given me their word. But I need to know I can trust _you_ right now. Kodi seems to think I can, and I'd like to think my son has good judgment. Now-", Balto began, raising his paw, before he was suddenly cut off.

"Oh shut up already", Steele said suddenly, taking the wolf-dog by surprise. Before he could reply, or angrily tell the malamute off, Steele grabbed Balto's paw and pulled the hybrid forward. Balto flinched instinctively, and prepared for the worst, when he realized the malamute wasn't attacking him. Steele was actually shaking his hand, though not because he wanted to by the sour look on his face. "I'll help you save the girl", the sled dog decided.

"But…but why?", Balto asked, confused. He struggled to understand why Steele was being so selfless all of a sudden, or why the malamute had actually accepted his offer.

"Three reasons wolf-dog. One, my beef is with you Bingo. I might not know this Dusty girl, but I know her and her baby are innocent in all this. Even if she does have a really bad taste in men", the malamute remarked, before glancing at Kodi and smirking as he saw the frown on the boy's face.

"Two, I'm a sled dog. Helping people is my job, even if…if I've never been very good at it", the malamute admitted, earning several stares from all the other dogs. Modesty was an entirely new concept to Steele, humble was something he had never even thought of being before. But who knew swallowing his pride would be so painful? Or embarrassing? Still, all he could do was ignore the stares of peers, and continue (besides, if any of them tried to give him trouble later, they'd all be met with the receiving end of his fist). "But after everything that's happened tonight, I promised myself that I wouldn't let what happened at the serum run happen again. This time I won't let any innocent lives be lost while I'm on the job", the sled dog promised.

Balto looked at the malamute in wonder. Even though Steele still looked the same, and acted mostly the same, it was like he didn't even recognize the sled dog before him anymore. Could Kodi have really done all that in just one day? "Steele…that's really insightful", the wolf-dog stuttered, struggling to find the right words.

"Oh don't go getting all preachy on me yet lobo, I still got one last thing left. Or have you forgotten that already?", the malamute asked sarcastically, though his insults didn't seem to have the same effect on Balto like they did before. They didn't have the same malicious intent they always used to have. Like his rival was insulting him, but it wasn't nearly as fierce or as personal as it used to be.

"Which is?", Balto asked him curiously.

"My owner is buried under there with your daughter-in-law and Griff's boyfriend. It's my job as a sled dog to protect my musher…something else I didn't do right when I needed to. Besides, if Roger dies, not only am I out of the job, but I'm homeless again too", Steele said lightly, though Balto figured the malamute had only added that joke at the end so he wouldn't dwell too much on the serum run.

By now, the grin on Balto's face was huge, and the hybrid had only one last thing he needed to say. "So I _can_ rely on you then?", Balto asked again, wanting to be extra sure Steele's words were sincere, just in case.

"So long as you pair me with a dog. Just because I'm willing to work with you on this doesn't mean I'm going to want to spend the next hour moving wood with a pack of wild wolves", Steele warned.

"That's reasonable enough", Balto shrugged. Though, despite his attempts to seem blasé, Balto was relieved beyond belief that things had been that easy.

"And Bingo?", Steele asked, while raising his eyebrow in annoyance for some reason.

"Yeah?", Balto asked curiously.

"When did you decide to rip my paw off my arm?", the malamute asked, growling slightly.

Balto looked down, and realized that sure enough, he still hadn't pulled his hand away from Steele's. He had been so shocked by Steele's cooperation he had forgotten to break up their pawshake. "Oh, sorry", the wolf-dog said sheepishly. The hybrid then turned around to face his friends.

"All right, we'll do this as one giant chain, stretching from that side of the room to the front door. This way, no one dog, or wolf, carries too much weight by himself, and no one has to exert themselves for too long", Balto explained, adding details as he went along.

"Jenna and I will be at the head of the chain, Kirby and Nikki will be next, Star and Griff after them, then Kodi and Kirby, and Kaltag and Steele will be near the end", Balto continued.

"What?!", Steele and Kaltag said simultaneously. Neither sled dog liked the idea of having to work with their former teammate. Even though they had both promised to cooperate, they still held resentment towards each other for the events of the serum run. Kaltag for Steele sabotaging his team. And Steele for Kaltag and the others abandoning him and running off with a wolf-dog so quickly. Not to mention the relationship they used to have beyond being teammates. Hell, Steele would even want to work with one of Bane's wild wolves before he'd want to work with Kaltag.

"Buck up you two, working together for once won't kill you. After the wood reaches you two, you'll hand it to Bane's pack, who'll then bring it outside. Since they have more fur than the rest of us, they can handle blizzard winds better than we can, so they'll be working the end of the chain. Now, everyone line up in a row, and take the positions I just granted you", Balto continued.

The wolf-dog watched in satisfaction as his friends and family all formed a single file, Steele and Kaltag begrudgingly standing next to each other. Once he was sure they were all in place, Balto picked up a piece of wood, and handed it to Jenna, who then handed it Kirby, who then handed it to Nikki, and so on and so on. The hybrid's plan just might work. If they got to Dusty and the humans in time.

**((()-()))**

"You know, I never thought I would die like this", Roger murmured, his voice muffled by all the wood on top of him.

"I don't think anyone would have seen this coming", John added, lying next to the man.

"Still, I guess when it's time for you to go, the universe comes up with some pretty creative ideas", Roger mused. "By the way Connor, when you told me this hotel had an upstairs draft, I didn't think you meant the whole upstairs was gonna fall down", Roger said, hoping to amuse himself.

"I told you this hotel had problems with it's support beams, but you still checked in anyway", Connor reminded him from a few feet away. Though Roger and John were lying next to each other (since they had been standing side-by-side when the second floor fell), Connor was separated from them by the rest of the rubble.

"True", Roger admitted. All three men were in a surprisingly light and jovial mood, considering they were buried alive. Then again, panicking would do them no good, so all they could do was make jokes and wait for the blizzard to end so help could arrive. Trouble was, sunrise wouldn't be for another hour or so.

"Got any regrets?", John asked.

"Just one. That I spent the rest of my life traveling, never settling down like the rest of my friends. But I've had enough of that now. If I survive this, I'm moving back to Nome. Maybe I'll take Steele to go see Gunnar again", Roger said, thinking out loud.

"Kaasen would like that", John said, smiling.

"Gunnar would get a kick out of that", Roger corrected him.

"I think it's time me and Steele hang up our hats", Roger said peacefully, closing his eyes.

"What are you two gentlemen talking about?", Conner asked curiously.

"It's a long story", Roger replied, not really feeling like explaining.

"We've got plenty of time", the hotel reminded him, trying to shrug but failing to do so since he couldn't move his arms.

Roger groaned, and opened his eyes again. So much for waiting out the next hour in peace.

Meanwhile, the humans weren't the only ones awake under the rubble. Their dogs were beginning to show signs of life too.

"How are you holding up Dust?", Blake asked, shivering as his body was pinned down to the ice cold floor. As if their situation wasn't bad enough already, there had to be blizzard raging outside. Nature just had to throw salt in their wounds.

"Well, I'm extremely uncomfortable, but I'd say I'm still all right for now. How about you?", Dusty asked.

"I'm freezing my tail off, but I guess I'm all right too", Blake replied honestly. The husky had woken up a few minutes ago, and was surprised to find that him and Dusty weren't buried that far apart from each other. Sure, they couldn't see each other because of all the broken wood that divided them, but they could still hear each other pretty well. Unfortunately, they didn't think their rescuers could hear them though.

"I wish Kodi was here. We always used to keep each other warm on nights like this", Dusty said wistfully.

"Yeah, Griff and I did too", Blake added. "_What I wouldn't give to be in that big bear's arms right now_", the husky thought, his teeth chattering.

"Can you hear the others?", Dusty asked.

"Yeah, Roger and John are awake. I think they're talking about death right now", Blake replied.

"How optimistic of them", Dusty muttered sarcastically.

"Dusty, we're gonna get out of here. I know Griff, he's not gonna stop until he finds us. He'd give the devil hell if it meant finding me. I know it's what I would do if he was under here. And it's what Kodi is probably doing right now", Blake said reassuringly, wishing more than anything he could touch Dusty, so he could comfort his friend psychically as well as emotionally. If only those goddamn walls weren't separating them.

"Yeah. He probably is. But is it enough?", the female husky asked rhetorically.

Though Dusty couldn't see, Blake's face darkened, and he glanced in the direction of where Dusty's voice was coming from. "What's wrong? Why are you so worried?", he asked.

"It's just…when Kodi and I got married, we said we'd always be together until death did us part. I just didn't think it'd be this soon. And even if I had, I still wouldn't have seen this coming. I always thought that Kodi and I would be together forever, just like Balto and Jenna. We'd get start a family together, and raise our little half-wolf kid. What an adventure that would have been. God, that kid was going to keep us up all night for months, but I would have still loved him anyway. And after a few years, we'd retire from out jobs as sled dogs, and grow old together. I knows this sounds really sappy and girly, like all that stupid romantic stuff that girls like Dixie and Sylvie like to talk about, but I always thought that when it was time for us to die, we'd die together. Our unity would last forever, even in the afterlife", Dusty explained, her voice breaking as she went on.

A few feet away from her, tears began to appear under Blake's eyes around the same time as Dixie's, as he realized where the pregnant husky was going. The fact she was speaking in past tense meant she had long given up on the dream she was currently telling him. Like there was no hope for her future. No hope at all.

"But instead I'm trapped under here, while he's out there, freezing to death. I'm going to die here cold and alone, and hundreds of miles away from home. And I'll never get to have that life with Kodi I always dreamed I would. Everything that we could have had is over, before it even had a chance to start", Dusty continued, her eyes burning as the subzero draft froze her tears. Still, she paid the pain no mind. Her mood was far too sad and desolate to notice any kind of physical pain, not when her heart felt like it was going to split in two.

Blake growled, and twisted his head around. He wanted to make sure Dusty could hear everything he was about to tell her. "Dusty, you can't just give up! Hope is the only thing that keeps us alive in times like these, and if let yourself die here then you really will be relinquishing that life with Kodi before it even has a chance to start. If Kodi was here, he'd want you to fight. He'd want you to bite nature in the butt every step of the way until help came! Not just for you, but for your baby too", Blake shouted suddenly, taking the female dog by surprise.

"He's still so young Dusty. He's hasn't even had a chance to experience life yet. You can't just let him be cheated out of that just because some raggedy old hotel decided to fall down one day, can you?", Blake demanded. Normally, the husky wasn't nearly this firm or direct, but this was one of those times when Blake found his inner fury and had more strength than he ever thought he had.

"No", Dusty replied hesitantly.

"Then for god's sake, fight it woman! Kodi is your husband. He _will_ come, and he _will_ tear this hotel apart to get to you. But he can't do it alone. You'll have to make an effort too and meet him half-way", Blake insisted, calming down a little as he noticed how Dusty's tone was wavering. Her moment of desolation was ending, and she was finding her own inner strength again. He just had to keep her talking, he had to keep raising her spirits.

"Kodi and his folks did say that marriage wasn't always going to be easy", Dusty whispered, remembering the talk she had with Jenna shortly before they left for White Mountain.

Blake scoffed, and though Dusty couldn't see him, she could still tell he was rolling his eyes. "You think that's hard? The guy you fell in love with was already a nice guy. And from the looks of it, he's a pacifist just like his dad. But Griff wasn't always as calm and mellow as he is now. Try going out with a hothead for two years, and trying to get him to _stop_ pounding the crap out of everyone he sees. Being crushed under this hotel is nothing compared to that. Still, no one ever said that being in a relationship was always going to be all sunshine and roses, and I don't regret a single minute of it", Blake insisted.

Even though he had sounded sarcastic before, the sled dog really meant everything he was saying. And once he was sure he had gotten through to his friend, Blake's voice softened, and the husky's voice returned to it's usual, joking tone. "Look at it this way Dusty. When we get out here, you'll have one hell of a story to tell that kid of yours when he keeps you up at nights", Blake suggested.

Dusty grinned, the last of her tears fading. "Yeah, I guess I will", she chuckled.

"Yeah you will. Though, now that I think about it, telling him that story might actually be counterproductive since he'll be way too scared to sleep by the time it's over. Anyway, forget about that. Focus on the now, and just keep holding on. Our guys will get to us soon", Blake said firmly, babbling awkwardly at the beginning, before deciding to return to the point.

Though he couldn't see Dusty either, the husky knew she had nodded in reply, and relaxed under the rubble again. Now all he had to do was relax, and keep his mood light and cheery until help arrived. Shouldn't be too hard, Blake figured, he could look for the bright side in any situation. "_Helped a pregnant mother fight to survive - that's my good deed for the day, possibly the week_", the husky thought to himself, grinning.

_**Author's Note:**_

Relationships are tough, and marriage is even tougher. When people get married, they promise to be together during good times and bad, and the true test of a marriage comes during a crisis, when a husband and wife are forced to be strong and put their faith in one another. Kodi and Dusty have been worrying about their marriage since chapter 3, and Dusty's doubts are readdressed here (I know it's clichéd, a gay man giving a troubled woman marital advice, but why mess with a classic? Besides, people discussing relationships while they're buried alive isn't exactly typical). Kodi's doubts, about whether or not he has what it takes to be a good husband, will play an important role in the next one. Plus, the rest of Dusty's rescuers still have their own issues to work out before the night is over too, including Steele. It's time we learn why Kodi and Griff's words got to him the way they did, and why he's so willing to work with his oldest rival on this mission.


	11. Chapter 11

_**Chapter 11: Worse Than A Wolf.**_

"So what's with all this talk about your father all of a sudden?", Kaltag asked, his mouth free for the moment as he and Steele awaited another piece of wood to reach them. After sitting next to each other awkwardly for a few minutes, glaring death at each other every few seconds, Kaltag finally decided to break the ice between the two former teammates.

"Why do you ask?", Steele grunted, obviously not wanting to his rival. Even though the other dogs pretended to be focused on the rescue effort, he knew everyone else still had their ears pricked up, listening in on what they were saying while they passed off boards of wood to each other. Unfortunately for him, Kaltag wasn't going to drop the subject that easily.

"Cause when I was running on your team, you never mentioned your dad once to us", Kaltag continued, raising his eyebrow.

"Maybe I did, maybe I didn't. You three were so busy kissing up, I doubt you ever really listened to word I was saying", Steele replied, rolling his eyes indifferently.

"Hey! We did everything you told us to do!", Kaltag barked angrily.

"That's not listening. That's playing a child's game, follow the leader. If you had really had been listening, you'd have known what we were doing was wrong. And you would have done what the kid did a long time ago. Stood up to me", Steele mused, talking more to himself than Kaltag.

The tan husky next to him snarled and advanced towards Steele. "You're trying to act all high and mighty now?! Have you forgotten what you did to us, to all of us?! We did everything for you, and your repaid us by leaving us for dead! Is that what you do Steele?! Take everybody you love and stab them all in the back?!", Kaltag shouted, taking Steele off guard and causing the malamute to visibly flinch. As the husky started venting all his rage and frustration, he drew the attention of everyone in the room, including Balto, Jenna, and Kodi.

"And then of course, you lie and act you've changed so everybody can feel sorry for you, just so you can do the same thing all over again! You may have fooled Balto, and Kodi, and the others, but you won't fool me! I know you Steele! I ran on a team with you! I was even crazy enough to like you once, so I know how you use people's sympathy to your advantage!", Kaltag continued, moving as close to Steele as he could possibly get without their noses touching.

Balto, worried that his friend was about to do something stupid and slow down their progress, was about to step in, when Steele shot him a look that told the wolf-dog to stay out of it. And for once, Balto complied. The hybrid felt that whatever Steele had to say was something that needed to be said between them.

By the now, Kaltag was so furious that his chest was rising and falling every half second. His teeth bared and his fur bristled, the husky leaned into a stance that all sled dogs assumed right before they were about to bite someone. But before Kaltag make his move, and give into his need for revenge, Steele decided to say something.

"Kaltag, I'm sorry", the malamute said quietly.

Kaltag's anger faded, and the husky's tense body relaxed, as he cocked his head to side. "What?", he asked.

"I'm sorry for everything. What I did to you, and Jenna, and the children, and the team. Everything that everybody told me about myself was true. But I was so much of a stubborn fool to see it until now. And I wouldn't have saw it now if it wasn't for that half-breed's annoying son", Steele explained, though again, the malamute's words came out more like a compliment than an insult. Almost like the sled dog was actually thanking Kodi for being so annoying and persistent. Standing next to his mother and father, a small grin couldn't help but spread across the boy's face. It seemed he had made a difference after all, and his advice really had rubbed off on the malamute.

"I was telling the truth before, when I said that I lost sight of what being a sled dog meant. It was probably the first time I've been honest about something since I was a kid", Steele continued, laughing ruefully at his immorality. "I'm willing to do what the kid said and forget about the past for once. But I know I still did you wrong Kaltag, and I know some wounds go too deep to be healed, like mine and Balto's", the malamute continued, glancing at the wolf-dog and his family again. The sled dog took a deep breath, and looked back at Kaltag, the husky didn't look angry anymore, more of confused.

"So if you think shredding me to pieces will make yourself feel better, I won't try to stop you. God knows I'd deserve it, and so much more. So why don't you go ahead, and do what someone should have done to me years ago", Steele suggested, before closing his eyes. The malamute scrunched up his arms and legs and dug his claws into the wood, bracing himself.

When Kaltag still didn't approach, Steele cracked open his eyes, and took another deep breath. "Well, what are you waiting for? Hit me with your best shot. I know it's what you've been wanting to do since the serum run", Steele said, almost invitingly.

However, even that wasn't enough to get the husky to approach. Instead, all Kaltag did was sigh, and raise his eyebrow. "You really are a complete jackass. You know that, right?", the sled dog frowned.

"Since I was old enough to pull a sled", Steele replied, cracking his eyes open a little further.

"Just when you I was getting used to you being a psychopath, you had to go and become a nice guy again", Kaltag groaned sarcastically.

Once he was sure Kaltag had calmed down, Steele opened his eyes all the way, and relaxed his body. "Couldn't really be helped. Blame the kid", the malamute said, his joking demeanor being, as usual, at odds with the serious nature of their conversation.

"And then you had to play this, the whole 'beat me up if you want to so you can feel good about yourself routine'", Kaltag continued, walking towards Steele.

"Again, blame the kid. He used it on me first", Steele replied, as his former teammate approached.

"Well, from what I know, putting yourself at someone else' mercy takes a lot of guts. And the Steele I remember was a coward, someone who would throw his own team in front of a moving train to save himself. So I don't know what Kodi did, cast some kind of bravery spell on you, or cursed you with compassion, or whatever, but the kid must have done some kind of miracle", the husky mused, as he circled Steele, eyeing the malamute all over for any kind of difference. Finally, Steele's patience ran out, as his old teammate knew it would.

"For god's sake Kaltag, are you gonna accept my apology, or are you gonna keep insulting me?! Either one is fine with me, but just choose one already so you can stop messing with me and we can get back to work!", Steele snapped.

Kaltag grinned, and shook his head, laughing. "Well, at least now I know it's really you and not some guy who just looks like you. The kid couldn't have changed you that much", the husky said, and Steele finally understood why his old friend/enemy was able to switch moods that fast.

The malamute's mouth hung open, as he watched the tan husky walk up to another dog, and accept a piece of the ceiling from him. "You…you were just faking all along?", Steele asked, stunned.

"Well, I had to make sure you really meant what you said, and you weren't just lying to get our sympathy, or turn on us again", Kaltag replied, his voice muffled by the broken tile between his lips.

"Damn it Kaltag!", Steele swore, right before the malamute groaned, as a huge chunk of wood was thrust into his mouth. Kaltag had just handed him the next piece of debris, which meant the chain had started again.

"Apology accepted by the way", Kaltag grinned.

Steele scowled, before turning towards one of Bane's wolves and begrudgingly handing him his load.

Standing a few feet away, Kodi's grin mirrored Kaltag's. The half-breed had to admit, for a middle-aged guy, Kaltag sure was a good actor. A good enough liar to fool Steele. So maybe his best acting skills wasn't something he learned over time, maybe it was a talent he got from being around his Uncle Kaltag so much when he was a kid. Either way, it was good to know the rescue mission was going to be smooth sailing, for now anyway.

**((()-()))**

And so, the chain gang continued onwards. As time went by, the dogs switched places a few times. Kodi and Griff were now working alongside Steele and Kaltag, but Balto and Jenna were still at the head of the group, working their paws off as the first signs of morning started to appear.

Even though it was still dark inside and outside the hotel, the storm clouds in the sky were starting to become more visible. Even though the rising sun couldn't break through them, you could still make out the outlines of the clouds themselves. And they were getting smaller. Soon the blizzard would either dissipate, or roll out of White Mountain. Either way, everyone knew that they were now running short on time. Worried, Bane left his place in the chain for the moment so he could talk to the group's leader.

"Balto, you know that when the storm is over, the humans will want to come here to inspect the damage to the hotel",

"Yes. But until they get enough volunteers they won't be able to reach Dusty and the others for days. If we save them, we have to do this ourselves", Balto groaned, as he and Jenna moved another large debris from the rapidly shrinking wall of wood.

"I mean, when the humans come we cannot be here, they'd shoot us all on sight", Bane reminded him, beckoning to the pack of gray wolves standing at the end of the chain.

"I know. I'm grateful you and your pack were able to help us this far. But when the storm is over, do what you have to do to protect your family. We still have enough dogs here to make chain after you leave", Balto told him, in a gentle and understanding tone to reassure his friend's guilt.

"Thank you my friend", Bane said, though the sad look in the wild dog's eyes betrayed him. He wished more than anything he could do more to help his old friends. But a wolf that was roaming around a human town in the middle day was a wolf with some kind of a death wish (with the exception of Nome's more famous half-breed).

Balto nodded, and watched as his friend rejoining his pack, before helping Jenna dig through another layer. Balto had no idea how long they had been digging. It felt like an hour, but for all he knew it could have been two. And the slower they went, the more anxious Kodi became.

Steele raised his eyebrow, as he noticed how quiet the half-breed's son was being, as he handed another piece of wood to Bane's pack. "Something bothering you kid? Usually you never stop talking. You should be telling us all to keep being hopeful and optimistic", Steele said sarcastically.

"It's Dusty", Kodi sighed.

"What about her?", Steele asked, walking towards the boy's side. Normally he didn't like to get involved in other people's business, but there was something about seeing such a happy-go-lucky guy like Kodi so sad and depressed that felt wrong. A few years ago, Steele wouldn't have given a damn about where or not some half-breed's kid looked like he was gonna cry. But Kodi had shown compassion towards him, so the least he could do was return the favor and at least pretend to be interested.

"When I married her, I promised her I would always stand by her side. When she walked down that aisle and promised herself to me, I promised her I would always be there for her. I said I would provide for her and the family we were gonna have together. Well, I'm sure doing a heck of a job of that, aren't I", Kodi said dejectedly.

"So far in the last two days, I let her come along on this trip, when I knew we were heading right into a snowstorm. I left her alone when I knew there was a maniac on the loose. No offense", Kodi said, adding in the last part as an afterthought. When Steele didn't say anything, only frowning at him, Kodi decided to continue.

"And now she's trapped under there, probably waiting for me to come save her, when we're not even close. Yeah, some husband I am. I've only been married to her for a few months, and I've as good as killed her", Kodi groaned, as he handed another piece of debris to one of Bane's wolves. However, Kodi turned his attention back to Steele, when he realized he wasn't the only one groaning and sighing.

"For god's sake, aren't you the one who told me to stop wallowing in self-pity?", the malamute asked rhetorically, though he didn't give Kodi nearly enough to time to reply before he continued.

"So far in the past two days, you've survived a hotel a collapsing, you tried to fight me, a guy who could tear in you half just be looking at you, and right now you're standing here in the middle of a wreck, and you're making that wreck even weaker by taking it apart. And you've done all this just for your wife. So you may be a sorry fighter, but in my book you're a damn good husband", Steele growled fiercely. "_A better husband than I could have ever been_", the sled dog thought silently, his ears drooping as Jenna's face appeared in his mind.

Though the malamute's words had came out like a snarl, Kodi could still tell they were meant to be encouraging. He had just gotten words of encouragement from Steele, a guy who had never even thanked his own team. "Thank you", he said.

"Don't thank me. I only did it so you'd stop whining", Steele grumbled, though Kodi knew he was lying. He was much too proud to admit the real reason why he said something. After all, Steele had already allowed himself to be embarrassed at least three times that evening for his friends' sake, and the malamute had to hold onto whatever little dignity he had left.

Once Kodi was distracted again, passing out larger and larger pieces of debris to the wolves, Griff tapped Steele on the shoulder. "You never answered Kaltag's question, about why you're talking about your old man so much all of sudden", the husky reminded him.

Steele frowned, and glanced at Kodi, making sure the half-breed wasn't listening in on them (though he couldn't be for sure, wolf-dogs always did have an annoyingly keen ears), before answering. "Because of something the kid told me, before the blizzard struck", the malamute replied.

"Which was?", Griff asked curiously, as he passed another chunk of wood to Steele, who then passed it on to Kirby, and so on and so on.

Steele hesitated, which was actually a good sign. Usually whenever someone asked the malamute about his old life he either growled at them or told them to go away. But the fact he was actually considering telling Griff anything meant he was finally ready to let people into the dark, cloudy mist of secrets that was his past. He just couldn't believe who he was about to tell it to. Why would Griff want to know anything about him? He hated him, didn't it? After all, wasn't it Blake who had always kept trying to 'find the best in him'? Still, if Griff wanted to know more about him, he wasn't going to argue this time. In a weird sort of way, he felt like he owed him answers, considering the wrong he had done his teammate two years ago. Though it felt like a lifetime ago now.

"When I was a kid, I always wanted to be a sled dog. Whenever I told my father about it, he always used to tell me that dogs and wolves were almost nothing alike. Dogs like to help the humans, while wolves want nothing to do with them. But he also said that we did have one thing in common, we both work in packs. Working together as one makes a wolf pack stronger than any lone wolf, and the fact that they always watch out for each other is what helps them to survive. He told me it was the same thing with a dog sled team. Of course, I never believed him. Why would he even think we had anything in common with those dirty, wild savages?", Steele asked rhetorically. "God, I was such a fool", he said to himself under his breath, though he was still talking loud enough for Griff to hear him.

"I grew up, and as you know, I got what I wanted. I got to lead my own team. My whole life, years of fame and glory, was mine for taking. Except, I messed up. I forgot everything he told me. You were right Griff. Everybody was right. Everything you all said about me was true. I stopped seeing Nikki, Kaltag, and Star as my teammates. They were nothing but lackeys to me. Muscle-headed idiots that lived to follow me. By the time the serum run came, I thought they were completely disposable and easily replaceable. So I thought nothing of leaving them in a blizzard to die. Their own leader, turned his back on not just them, but everything and everyone", Steele said, disgusted.

Standing next to him, Griff stared at the malamute sympathetically. He had never really cared about Steele. Why would he? His boss had very nearly ruined his life for him. So why would he feel any kind of sympathy towards someone who had been so willing to humiliate him in front of all his teammates. But now that he looked back on it, him holding a grudge against Steele was rather hypocritical.

After all, Steele had only done what he did to stop him from hurting Blake, the dog who would later become his boyfriend. The dog he shared a kiss with every morning, the one he held to his chest every night to keep his better half warm, the one who always kept him happy and laughing through long sled trips. And none of those things would have happened if he had continued on the way he did. In a way, Steele had actually done him a favor by speeding up his coming out process. Something Blake had realized a long time ago, but Griff was too stubborn to see.

So now, as he watched Steele look back on his past actions, and regret every selfish decision he had ever made, he understood how he must felt. After two years, Blake's empathy had rubbed off on him after all.

"And then that wolf-dog's son came along, with his annoying boy scout ideals", Steele continued, though just like before, it was obvious he was only pretending to be irked.

"He told me that I had always considered myself superior to wolves and wolf-dog hybrids. He actually had the nerve to tell me that in my effort to be better than the savages, I had turned out just as bad as them, maybe even worse. I should have knocked his teeth out when he told me that. But I didn't. Because I knew what he said was true. Just like what you told me was true. But even then, I still didn't want to believe it. It's funny how quickly pride and vanity can turn into denial. At least, until you, being the loud mouth that you are, put in your opinion too", Steele continued, turning his attention back to Griff.

Griff frowned, and thought about turning his attention back to the chain again, until he realized that Steele, in his own obnoxious way, was actually thanking him.

"You said the exact same thing the kid said, except you didn't bother trying to be nice to me or patronize me. You said what everyone else had been too scared to say for years. Nikki, Kaltag, Star, they must have all thought about what you said at least once, but you and that lobo's kid were the only ones brave enough to grow a pair and say it to my face. You said that you'd rather run with a wolf-dog than someone who'd abandon his own team. And it wasn't until then, when everyone was telling me the same thing over and over again, screaming it right in my face, that I finally got it. My dad was right. He had been right all along", the malamute continued, his voice rising.

"That's why I turned down Balto's offer to help me. That's why I lost Jenna, the only girl I ever really loved. That's why my own team left me in a blizzard. That's why I lost my home. And that's why I almost killed a whole town full of innocent children! Because I am, I really am the most stupid, selfish bastard in all of Alaska!", Steele shouted, causing Griff to take a step backwards in shock.

It was at that point that the malamute finally noticed that everyone in chain gang had stopped moving, and now had all their eyes focused on him. He didn't know how long they had been listening, or when he had started screaming, but he was much too upset to care anymore. Once he calmed down, the sled dog sighed, and hung his head down in shame.

"I'm worse than a wolf. I'm so, so much worse. I tried to sacrifice the lives of my team and an entire town, just to spite one person. I lost everything and nearly took everyone down with me. So when I spared Kodi's life, I promised myself I would never let anything like that happen again, starting tonight. If you really must know, I doing all this because I want to listen to my dad for once, and do something good in my life. Even if it means working with a bunch of wolf-dogs. After all, I'm no worse off than they are right now", Steele mumbled, composing his face before he lifted his head again.

"So if you all really want to save Bingo's daughter, then why are you just standing here gawking at me? Get back to work! We don't have a lot of time left until the blizzard subsides and Balto's wild kin has to go back to the forest!", the malamute barked, his voice returning to it's usual authorative tone as he spoke to the entire crowd.

The dogs and wolves, though they still seemed to be taken off guard by Steele's outburst, all complied with the malamute's orders and continued moving wood across the room, as Steele sauntered back to his place in line. When he was tired of feeling Griff's eyes stare at the back of his head, he turned around to face the husky, who was looking at him with a look of absolute pity.

"Steele, I'm sorry I-", Griff began, before Steele raised his paw to stop him.

"Don't apologize. If it wasn't for you, I'd probably still have my head shoved under my tail right now. Besides, if anyone should be apologizing, it should be me, for what I did to you all those years ago", Steele said hesitantly. Apologizing never was one of his strong suits. He had just starting doing it that very night, and despite all the progress he had made so far, it still hurt his pride to admit he had been wrong about something.

"Don't apologize about that either. I was an idiot too. When you first me, I was a prejudiced self-righteous jerk just like you were. Getting me to admit my secret was the best thing anyone could have done for me…boss", Griff said, hesitating himself as he added in the last part. He had never called Steele his boss before, not even before the incident, he had always been too jealous of the malamute for taking his old job. Refusing to acknowledge him as his leader had been his own way of spiting the dog. So calling him by his title now, after three years, was the greatest sign of respect Griff could give his rival.

Steele smirked. "I guess tonight you just returned the favor, huh?", he joked, the sled dog's depressed mood lightening almost instantly.

"Kodi forgot something when he was talking about what it meant to be sled dog. Sometimes we have to give each other tough love. And it sucks", Griff added, his grin mirroring his lead dog's.

"Yeah it does. Now come on, let's go save your boyfriend already", Steele said, before lifting his head up above the chain of dogs. "Balto, we've been digging through rubble for an hour and a half now, surely we're close by now!", Steele shouted.

"I think we're almost there, Dusty's scent is getting stronger. We might be close to breaching the final layer", Balto replied, sniffing the next layer wood and glass.

And then Balto froze, and his supersensitive ears opened wide, his skin and his fur stretching to it's limit so his ear drum could have a clear passage to the outside world. He had just heard something that stopped him in his tracks, and put their entire mission on hold. Subconsciously, he was aware that he was now being crowed by at least three other dogs, and who knows how many behind them. But he wasn't ready to turn his head around yet to look at them.

"Balto, what is it?", Jenna asked.

"I thought I heard something…or someone", the wolf-dog replied, as he pressed his ear against one of the planks. When he apparently didn't hear anything, he moved towards another one. He moved down lower, then higher, then left, then right, pretty much in every direction, much to his family's confusion.

"Dad, are you saying you thought you heard…", Kodi was about to ask, right before Balto raised up his paw, a silent sign for his son to keep his voice down for the moment.

"Wolf-dog, what's with all the hold-up?", Steele asked impatiently.

"Shh!", Balto shushed, as he tore away another plank with his paws. He had just figured out where the noise was coming from, and he was honing in it. But he had to make sure he was right. Before he could get anybody's hopes up, he had to know it wasn't exhaustion or the blizzard wind playing tricks with him.

"Did you just shush me? Did you just tell me to shut up?!", Steele asked incredulously, growling at the hybrid.

"Yeah, now please be quiet", Balto replied, unfazed as he focused his attention on the noise in his ears. As the sound grew closer and closer, the hybrid was able to tune out Steele's voice entirely.

Steele scowled, and was about to say something else, when Kodi put his paw on his shoulder to stop him.

Meanwhile, Balto's yellow eyes widened, and the wolf-dog jumped back all of a sudden, laughing heartily. His friends and his allies all stepped back, and gave the wolf-dog room as he jumped into the air. "Balto, what is it?", Bane asked, joining the hybrid and his family.

"I hear it! I really hear it! I hear voices, human voices, right on the other side of this wall! We've made it!", Balto said, watching triumphantly as a dozen screams and cheers erupted from his comrades.

_**Author's Notes:**_

Haha, and so we move onto the next pivotal chapter of this story. After waiting over an hour for her rescuers to come save her, Dusty's moment of salvation is almost here. Like Unshippedcorpse mentioned in his review, there have been lots of bits and pieces to this story, so many that I was worried I wouldn't have a chance to focus on Steele's arc before the action starts again. But I was wrong. Putting aside the urgency of the rescue mission for a bit allowed me to delve into Steele's character, and clear up some things that were left unsaid before. Like the title says, this chapter was all about Steele helping out his friends (and former enemies), while coming to terms with the fact he's turned out worse than the things he's always hated. I wouldn't say Steele is suicidal in this chapter, more of that he's willing to take one for the team if he feels he has to.

Imagine spending your whole life hating someone or something, thinking you were superior to them, when in reality you did things that were so much worse than they could have ever imagined. My main inspiration for Steele's revelation comes from the hypocrisy of famous supremacy groups like the Nazis, the Aryans, and the Ku Klux Klan. These three are only a few of many groups in history who have always considered themselves to better than any other race, and have tried to force their ideals onto others through unbelievably cruel acts of hatred. When I imagined what Steele's guilt would feel like, I imagined how a former Klansmen would feel if he realized the horror of what he had done with his life. On a lighter note, there's also a hint of that thing Kaltag had with Steele that was mentioned in chapter 4 (I haven't forgotten about that either).


	12. Chapter 12

_**Chapter 12: An Allied Force.**_

"You can hear the humans? What are they saying?", Jenna asked, standing right next to her husband in hopes of hearing what the wolf-dog said he was hearing.

Balto hesitated and refocused his ears, really concentrating on the voices on the other side, before answering. "They're talking about what they're gonna do when they get out of there. One of them's talking about how he's gonna go back home someday", Balto replied, grinning.

"Can you hear Dusty?", Kodi said hopefully, the half-breed's ears pricking up.

Balto's face fell, and he dreaded what he was about to say next. "No", the wolf-dog replied, before immediately gauging his son's reaction. As expected, Kodi's face fell, and all the life went out of his joyful expression.

"It could be because the humans are talking too loud. Or she could be further in", Balto said quickly.

"Or it could be because she's dead. She's been down there for almost two hours now", Kirby said flatly.

"We can't think like that! As long as the humans down there are still alive, then there's a chance she's still alive. And if she is, I know she's still fighting for me. And if she hasn't given up yet, we can't give up on her!", Kodi said suddenly, causing his friend to step backwards in shock.

"Well then, what are we waiting for?! Let's start digging!", Steele said, brushing past the hybrid.

"Wait! This whole place is still unstable. As far as we know, this pile of rubble is what's keeping the rest of the hotel from falling down. If we're gonna do, we're gonna have to do this slowly and carefully", Balto advised.

Steele groaned, and mumbled something that was undoubtedly ugly to himself, before he joined the hybrid and his family in digging.

**((()-()))**

"We're not gonna get out here, are we?", Connor asked quietly, as the hotel manager fought a losing battle against his heavy eyelids. He knew that once he fell asleep, it would all be over. He would freeze to death under his own hotel, and no one would ever know his last words except for total strangers.

"Probably not", Roger replied, as he felt the muscles in his arms and legs start to relax. It wouldn't be long now.

Lying not that far away from him, even John, the optimist of the group, was starting to lose hope. After all, he and his friends had been trapped down for hours, and no one had came yet. That goddamn storm was determined to be death of them, literally. And now their exhaustion, hunger, sleepiness, and lowered body temperatures were starting to catch up with them. "He came back you know. In the end", John said suddenly, out of the blue.

"Who came back?", Roger asked.

"Steele, he came back right before the hotel collapsed", John reminded him, his eyes drooping just his friend's.

"So? He came back inside because he knew the blizzard was getting worse, and he didn't want to freeze", Roger said indifferently.

"No, I don't think that's it. Steele could have found shelter anywhere in town. There are plenty of abandoned buildings in White Mountain that can still insulate heat pretty well. But he came back specifically to you, like how any good sled dog returns to his master in a storm. Not just for it's own protection, but to keep it's musher safe", John mumbled, his voice lowering from exhaustion

"If you're trying to tell me something, just come out with, we don't have time for riddles tonight my friend", Roger whispered.

"I'm saying Steele came back because he knew you worried about him. He returned to your side because he finally respects you as his owner, just like he did Gunnar. You…you didn't do such a bad job of taking care of him after all", John explained, as the Eskimo's eyes finally closed shut.

Roger opened his mouth to argue, but didn't have the strength to force any words to come out of his throat. Maybe it was for the best. If he was gonna die, he didn't want to spend his last words arguing with one of his oldest friends. And if John really was right about Steele, it meant he would finally done something right in his life before his last day on Earth. And that one comforting thought was enough to finally get Roger relinquish his grip on reality and lull off into sleep.

With his conscious thoughts now long gone, the middle aged man's body ran fully on automatic, but he was still running out of energy, The rising and falling pattern of his chest gradually slowed down, as he cast off into a sea of darkness, a kind of darkness that was completely different than the kind that was already surrounding him. This blackness was absolute and eternal. This was the kind of darkness that you never came out of. And the further you went in, the more it was impossible to find your way out. Not that Roger would ever want to come out of it, even if he was awake. Here, in the afterlife that so many men had dreamed of for thousands of years, he was finally at peace.

**((()-()))**

"Come on! Come on! Keep talking to me!", Balto shouted, as the hybrid threw chunk after chunk of wood to his friends. The humans had just stopped talking, all of them, all at once. And while the hybrid was no doctor, he knew enough about starvation and hypothermia to know that was never a good sign.

Finally, the half-breed found what he was so desperately looking for. Signs of human life - in the form of five bloody fingers sticking out of the debris.

"Oh my god", Jenna whispered, stepping backwards.

Ralph and Kirby flinched, the sled dogs' stomachs lurching. In all their days of running across the tundra, neither professional had ever felt the need to throw up before, until now.

Kodi watched horrifyingly, frozen with fear, as his father walked up to the man's severed hand, and started tugging lightly on his fingers. The salty, metallic taste of human blood stained his tongue, and despite what everyone thought about wolves being bloodthirsty, it tasted incredibly nasty to the hybrid.

"Is he?", Steele asked quietly, out of respect for the obviously deceased.

"No. He's still alive. And this hand hasn't been cut off, it's still attached to his arm. You need to clear more wood so I can pull him out", Balto explained, tugging harder on the man's hand. Now the arm that it was attached to was becoming visible, along with the sleeves that protected his appendage.

As the smell of blood filled the early morning air, Steele recognized the man's scent. "Roger", he said. In the blink of an eye, the malamute joined Balto in pulling on the man's sleeve, tugging his arm further and further out of the debris, while their friends continued throwing wood and glass out of the way, throwing caution to the wind now.

Finally, Roger's chest and head joined his newly freed arm, and the man unconsciously filled his lungs with air, the first fresh oxygen he had in hours. Once his legs were free, Balto and Steele pulled him towards the others, and laid his body down on the floor, allowing the wolf-dog to examine his condition.

"He's unconscious, but he's still breathing, even if it's a bit beneath his normal rate. He's freezing cold, and since we can't take him outside yet, you guys will have to keep him warm while Steele and I keep digging", Balto ordered. Sure enough two of Bane's wolves walked up to the man and reluctantly lied on top of him, sharing their fur and body heat with him.

Steele, who even now still had a bit resentment towards his wild ancestors (as to expected, a man couldn't just change his lifelong prejudices over night after all), had to admit he was a little impressed by how willingly Bane and his men followed Balto's orders, and the unspoken irony of their rescue mission. Wolves, creatures that everyone had always believed to be the enemy of men were now helping town dogs _save_ men. This was what Balto had always meant when he said that wolves and dogs could achieve great things together, if they could only find a common cause. And this was what teamwork was really all about.

And so the digging continued. Balto and Steele were at the head of the group, cutting themselves on all kinds of broken glass and jagged wood as they went along, but paying the pain as little attention as they could. Well, Balto anyway.

"Damn glass!", Steele swore, causing a small grin to appear his former rival's face, one that went thankfully undetected by the malamute in the dark.

Behind them, Kodi and Jenna helped the best they could by covering the two alphas' sides, preventing the tunnel they were digging from caving in on them, while the other wolves and sled dogs monitored Roger's pulse and heartbeat.

After another minute or two, Balto found another human being. A man-sized leg was sticking out of another pile of wooding, and Kodi quickly recognized the scent as belonging to his own musher, John Simpson. In a matter of seconds, Balto, Jenna, Kodi, and Steele managed to extricate the Eskimo from his would-be tomb, and drag his body out of the tunnel.

With Kaltag and Nikki now lying on John's body, and the Inuit's vital signs remaining stable, Balto turned his attention back towards the rescue mission. So far they had rescued two humans, his son's musher and Steele's, but they hadn't found any dogs yet, something that was understandably putting Kodi and Griff on edge. The wolf-dog had assured them that Dusty and Blake had to be under their somewhere, along with the rest of sled dogs that had been in the hotel, but even he had to admit he was getting a little worried himself. The lobby's ceiling, which had looked sturdy despite the collapse all night, was suddenly looking a whole lot shakier. Balto had a suspicion that the wreckage really was what was holding up the rest of the inn, and that if they didn't find Dusty soon they'd risk destabilizing the rest of the structure and finishing what nature started.

"Hey wolf-dog!", Steele shouted, ahead of the hybrid for once.

"Yeah?", Balto asked.

"We've got our first dog", Steele said excitedly. Eagerness was strange expression on Steele's face. Balto had never seen the malamute excited about anything except tormenting him and showing up his rivals in a sled race. So seeing Steele this happy about something that didn't involve him still took some getting used to. But that wasn't important at the moment. What Steele had to say, that was important. "Tell Griff he can relax, he can spoon Blake to his heart's content tonight", Steele chuckled.

And no sooner had the malamute spoken Blake's name did Griff join them in the tunnel, forcing himself to squeeze inside the canine-made crevice that was already filled with four dogs. "Blake!", he shouted. He almost plowed Balto down to get to Steele, as he saw his boss drag Blake's body down the tunnel. Unfortunately, in Griff's rush to check on his beloved, he forgot that wide frame took up much of the tunnel, which had only been dug out by a much smaller wolf-dog.

"Move your tail Griff, you're in the way", Steele growled, his mouth filled with Blake's fur as he teammate unwittingly blocked his path.

Griff immediately complied, walked backwards out of the tunnel and into the lobby, with Steele right behind him, or rather in front of him. To everyone's amazement, Blake wasn't unconscious like the humans. Instead the husky was fully awake, and sporting a grin the size of Tennessee on his face. He opened his dry mouth, and chuckled softly as his boyfriend approached him.

"I told you you were putting on weight Griff. If it had been you stuck down there, they'd never have gotten you out", he joked, his voice no higher than a whisper, before he was suddenly silenced by two warm lips pressing against his. Even though he hadn't said anything, Griff had just volunteered to keep Blake warm, by lying on top of the husky's chest and kissing him like there was no tomorrow.

The tired husky didn't fight his mate as he breathed into his mouth, Griff's hot, moist tongue mingling with Blake's cold, saliva-less muscle. But this wasn't Griff's normal way of kissing, rough, hot-blooded and forceful. This melding of lovers was a lot more softer and gentler than usual, Griff seemed to be making an effort not to ravage his boyfriend's mouth like he had wanted to for the past two hours. Blake couldn't help but smile at how kind and considerate his mate was. The normally hotheaded veteran was afraid that if he wasn't careful was his frozen lover he'd break him or something.

Once Griff finally released him, Blake chuckled, and raised his paw into the air to rub Griff's neck. At first, he shivered and shied away from his boyfriend's ice-cold touch, before he started to relax into the feeling of Blake stroking his fur. "You always were a softie, and I've seen you with Roger long enough to know just what makes your tail wag. Big bad Griff loves a good neck rub", Blake teased lightly.

"You…you almost died, and you're still making jokes?", Griff asked, struggling to speak through the blissful moans and groans he was involuntarily making. The husky was obviously pretending to be angry with him, but Blake knew his better than that to fall for it.

"What do you think I did to keep myself awake while I was waiting for you? Thinking of what to say when you found me, that's what", Blake replied, before his tone suddenly became very serious, as more memories of his imprisonment came back to him. "Dusty's under there too. She was talking about Kodi, and she wasn't that far away from me. Have you found her yet?", the husky asked, concerned.

"No", Griff replied, his teasing mood disappearing as well.

"Tell the others to keep heading straight ahead, they should find her just a few minutes away from where they found me", Blake ordered.

Griff complied, and started shouting out orders to his teammates, while Blake took slow, deep breaths. Though the dry winter air stung his sore throat like crazy, the pain was counteracted by the relief he got from finally filling his lungs with fresh oxygen. He had never considered himself claustrophobic before, but after being pinned under there for two hours, he never wanted to be in another tight, enclosed space again, without Griff anyway. If Griff was with him, wrapping his big strong arms around him at night, he wouldn't mind sleeping under the snow again as usual.

Meanwhile, Balto, Jenna, Kodi, and Steele got back to work, running down the rapidly-growing tunnel to continue looking for signs of life. "I've got the scent of another human! I think it might be that hotel manager guy!", Steele shouted, as he sniffed the walls of the tunnel.

"And I've picked up Dusty's too", Kodi added excitedly.

Balto hesitated, looking at his son and then at Steele, before answering. "Right. Steele, you can dig another hole to look for the human, Kodi, Jenna and I will keep looking for Dusty. But just be careful, you know how delicate everything is right now", Balto advised. To his surprise, Steele actually listened to him, and nodded his reply before pushing some more wood and glass out of his way, heading in a separate direction from Kodi, Jenna and Balto.

"DUSTY! DUSTY! Can you hear me?!", Kodi shouted, desperately listening for any sign of a response. There was no answer, and Kodi was about to try shouting again when he heard a faint reply. He couldn't be for sure, what with all the blizzard wind still going outside (though in the back of his mind, he couldn't help but notice the storm was finally starting to slow down), but he could have sworn he heard his wife whisper three crucial little words - "_I'm over here_".

"DUSTY?! Can you hear me!", Kodi shouted, pushing more wreckage out of the way as he followed the sound of Dusty's voice.

"DUSTY?!", Balto shouted, the hybrid joining in with his son.

"DUSTY?!", Jenna added, following her two boys as the widened the tunnel of debris.

"I'm here!", Dusty replied from out of the darkness, her voice a little louder of this time.

"Tell me where you are!", Kodi said, as he honed in his lover's strained replies.

"Keep heading left", Dusty ordered.

Kodi did as his wife said, and forced his way through the wood and nails and metal and glass, ignoring the searing pain in his paws as he cut himself over and over again. His own safety and well being meant nothing to him anymore, heck, it wasn't even a topic on his brain anymore. He was giving his whole attention to one thing, and one thing only. Finding his mate.

Finally, all the hybrid's efforts paid off when he tore through one last layer of debris, and found his wife lying on the floor, pinned down by at least a dozen planks of wood. "Kodi!", she said, as her husband ran up to her and started throwing wood off her back. "Thank you! Thank you so much!", she sobbed, as her beloved finally freed her back and legs.

"No, thank you for waiting for me. I can't imagine holding on this long", Kodi replied, as his mother and father joined him in the furthest reaches of the tunnel.

"Blake said you'd come, but I had given up hope. If it wasn't for him I probably wouldn't have lasted this long", Dusty explained.

"I gotta make sure I thank him later. Maybe arrange a date for him and Griff or something", Kodi mused, as he and his parents lifted his wife up off the ground. "Are you okay?", he asked, as he saw how Dusty struggled to stand upright.

"I'm fine. Nothing feels broken, but I won't be running anytime soon", Dusty said reassuringly.

"And what about him…or her, how's he/she doing?", Kodi asked concernedly.

"I can still feel him moving around in my stomach. He's gonna be okay too. He got a little shaken up down there, but his mommy protected him", Dusty said, talking more to the baby in her stomach than she was to her husband this time.

"Isn't that what moms do?", Kodi asked, grinning.

"Yeah, but not that many moms have days like these. Now come on, let's get out of here. If I have to stay down here another minute, I'm gonna die", Dusty groaned, her usual personality returning, as she followed her family back they way they came. As the walked back down the tunnel, avoiding all the glass and splinter that had tormented them earlier, Balto and Kodi supported Dusty on both sides, since the husky was still having trouble getting her balance.

"Oh, did you have to say that? That's like saying 'what's the worse that could happen?', or 'there's no turning back now', or 'nothing could possibly go wrong'. And whenever you say something like that, something bad _always_ happens", Balto asked, the hybrid's ears flattening against his head nervously.

"Dad, I never knew you were superstitious", Kodi said, raising his eyebrows.

"I'm not. But when you've been doing stuff like this as long as I have, you know a jinx when you hear it", Balto replied.

Before Steele could reply, there was suddenly a loud creaking sound above their heads. Balto and Kodi groaned, as the familiar sound of wood bending and breaking echoed in their supersensitive ears. At least it was no where near as loud or painful as it had been before. But nonetheless, the sound of wood snapping was never a good sign.

Balto and his family didn't even need to look up, they could already guess what was happening. The tunnel they had dug in the wall of debris was collapsing, and there was no telling what effect that would have on the rest of the tunnel. "RUN!", the wolf-dog shouted. He didn't have tell them twice.

Kodi, Jenna, and Dusty ran ahead of him, while Balto stayed at the back of the group, wanting to make sure all his family got out safely before he did. As they moved through the labyrinth of twists and turns they had so painstakingly created, the canines sprinted as quickly as they could (which actually wasn't that fast, since they were all dead tired), as the wood and glass over their heads started getting lower and lower to the ground.

As they neared the end of the tunnel, Steele appeared out of nowhere, stopping the hybrids and their mates dead in their tracks. "Hey wolf-dog, good news. I found last that Connor guy, and some more dogs. We did a head count, and we've found everyone but Dusty. Ah, there he she is", Steele explained, grinning as he finally noticed the husky standing next to Balto and Kodi.

"Good, that's good news Steele. Now run!", Balto shouted, before pushing the disgruntled malamute ahead of them as a sign for him to start moving. As all five dogs ran out of the tunnel, Balto tried to focused on keeping family safe, and rather than worrying about how seriously pissed off Steele was going to be with him later.

Balto, Jenna, Kodi, Steele, and Dusty just barely dove to safety in time, before the wall of wood behind them gave way, and the tunnel they had spent half an hour digging sealed shut. Balto panted heavily, and sighed in relief as he realized everyone had made it out safely. In the back of his head, he noted he shouldn't have been that tired. He used to run distances that were dozens of times longer than that without breaking a sweat (if dogs could sweat that is), he really was getting old (he was nine years old now, which made him middle-aged in dog years). "See? I told you it was a jinx", he muttered to Dusty, who was lying on the floor next to him.

Balto looked up, and was relieved to find the lobby's ceiling was still holding up above their heads, for now. Apparently the rubble wasn't what was holding up the rest of the foundation, but Balto still wasn't going to take any chances. Steele said they had found the rest of the survivors, and now it was time for them to get out of that death trap, snowstorm or no snowstorm.

As his wife, his son, and his daughter-in-law got to their feet, Balto walked over to his buddy's side for information. "Kaltag, how are the others?", the wolf-dog asked.

"Well, Blake can still walk, along with most of the dogs here. But the humans weren't so lucky. Roger's out cold, and even if he was awake, he's got a real bad broken leg. John's not that far off, and if we hadn't found Connor in time he was gonna freeze to death. The rest of the hotel guests are doing okay…considering", Kaltag reported.

"Humans, they think they're such tough, rugged survivalists, but they're one of the most fragile species on this planet", Steele scoffed, voicing his opinion.

"Hey, cut them some slack. I think it's amazing they've held on this long. Even the hardiest of sled dogs would have a tough time bouncing back from something like that", Balto said defensively, as he glanced down at Roger's unmoving body. Color was slowly returning to his pale white skin, a sign that the wolves' attempt to warm him up was paying off. He and the rest of the humans would be waking up again pretty soon, so what would they would think when they found themselves surrounded by sled dogs and wolves?

"Kal, do you think we can move them anytime soon?", Balto asked, as nervously he looked up at the ceiling again. The newly-risen sun was just beginning to break through the storm clouds, and the more Balto could see of the lobby, the more he wondered how that raggedy wreck of a building had held up that long.

"Maybe. It's freezing cold out there, but the blizzard is just a snowstorm now, so it shouldn't be fifty below or anything like that. But what if we just make their injuries worse when we're dragging them?", Kaltag asked, concerned.

"We don't have a choice. We can't stay here and risk this place falling in on us again. None of us would have a chance of surviving that a second time", Kodi reasoned, he and Dusty deciding to join in his father's conversation.

"I have to agree with the half-breed and his kid on this one. I'd rather take my chances with the snowstorm then this place", Steele said, grinning as he saw a look of surprise flash across Balto and Kodi's faces for less than a second.

Kaltag hesitated, before nodding in agreement. Behind him, Nikki, Star, Jack, Kirby, Griff, Jake, Hal, Ron and the rest of Bane's wolves mirrored the sled dog's actions. If the hybrid really thought that moving the humans was the right thing to do, they all agreed with him. After all, his good judgment and quick decision making had gotten them that far. "Alright, whatever you say. You're the boss", Kaltag said trustingly.

**((()-()))**

And so the great canine/human exodus began. Dogs and wolves alike starting grabbing pieces of human beings in their mouths and dragging them by their none-broken limbs out the lobby doors. Once outside, they were greeted by expectedly cold temperatures, and frigid wind that whistled in their ears, amplified by the sheer emptiness of the street. Still, it was no where near as bad as the raging torrent of snow, ice, and hail that had bombarded White Mountain the night before.

Despite it being dark and gloomy inside the powerless hotel, it was bright and almost sunny outside. You could see every house down the street, and even some of the trees that lined the mountainsides off in the distance. In fact, it was too bright. From the safety of their house, you could every last dog that was dragging the humans out of the hotel. Even the ones that weren't dogs. They no longer had the cover of night to protect, and Bane's pack knew their part in Balto's adventure had come to an end. It was time for them to return to the forest, before any humans came out of their houses with shotguns and started firing on them.

"It was good seeing you Balto", Bane said, shaking his half-breed friend's paw. Behind him, Nikki, Kaltag, Star, Jack, Kirby, Ron, Hal, Griff, and Blake were all curled up around the humans they had rescued, keeping them safe and warm from the snowstorm in the same their fur coats protected them. But unbeknownst to any of them, Roger's eyelids were slowly starting to crack open.

"You too Bane. Take care of yourself and your family", Balto replied, smiling as he bowed his head in a sign of respect to his alpha friend.

"Will do. And I haven't forgotten the promise I made you Jenna. The next time we see each other, I will take you to see your daughter Aleu. This entire night has been a time of reunions, and it's time you finally have yours", Bane said, shaking Jenna's paw next.

"Thank you", the red husky said gratefully, before bowing her head too. But Balto and his friends were so busy saying their last good-byes, that no one noticed when Roger turned his head around and stared at them, trying to convince himself his sleepy eyes weren't playing tricks on him.

After he was done talking to Balto and Jenna, Kodi and Dusty were the only ones left. Kodi gripped his uncle's paw excitedly, and shook it as hard as he could, taking the old wolf by surprise. "I can't wait to find Aleu again. From what I've heard, my sister's has been busy", Kodi grinned, while copying his parents' gestures.

"That she has", Bane replied, chuckling, before moving towards Dusty.

"Thank you for everything you've done to help me and Kodi", Dusty said, before bowing her head.

"It was my pleasure. Even though we're not related by blood, you're a part of Balto's family now, which makes you a part of my family too", Bane said, bowing with Dusty before rejoining his pack.

Roger was completely silent as he laid on his back on the snow, he didn't dare make a sound, lest risk drawing attention to himself. Then again, he couldn't talk even if he wanted to, what with his stomach and chest being squashed by some heavy sled dog (though he couldn't see which one). It didn't take much to guess he was trying to keep him warm, but what he didn't understand was how he and the other guests got out of the hotel in the first place. Surely the dogs didn't save them, did they? Not to mention the even greater mystery, why was there a wolf pack in the middle of town? And why was a dog that looked a lot like Balto, the hero of his home town, and three other dogs bowing their heads to the lead wolf? Could they have something to do with his rescue too?

Kodi, Jenna, and Dusty walked back to Balto's side, and huddled next to each other for warmth, as their friends prepare to depart. But just when it seemed like the conglomeration of wolves had said their last good-byes, Bane turned back towards the wolf-dog and his family one last time. "Balto?" he asked.

"Yeah?", the hybrid replied curiously.

"Take better care the next time you're helping your family. There won't be always be helpful wolf around to bail you out when you get lost", Bane said, grinning.

"Who said I was lost?", Balto replied, smirking.

Bane laughed, the wolf's loud, throaty chuckle echoing across the street as it was carried by the wind. "Whatever floats your boat", he said, a surprisingly human expression, before the wild dog turned around and ran off down the street, followed by half a dozen barking, howling canines.

And in no time at all, the wolves were gone, disappearing the forests they had called their home for thousands of years. The only traces left of their existence, the only physical proof that they had ever helped Balto meddle in human affairs, was their footprints in the snow, and the wind would take care of that soon enough. Wolves, not only one of nature's top predators, but also one of nature's greatest enigmas.

Once they were gone, Roger breathed a sigh of relief, and lifted his head up, straining to see what dog was cutting off air to his lungs. What he saw next surprised him even more than seeing the wolf pack had. The dog that was lying on top of his chest was his own lead dog, the last person he had ever expected to see trying to keep him warm. "Steele…you came back", he said, shocked.

The malamute barked in reply, and bent over to lick his hand. Even though Roger didn't speak dog (no human could), he could tell, he could just tell somehow, that that meant yes. The musher slowly lifted up his hand, having to make a great effort to do so, and rubbed Steele on the head. It was a musher's way of congratulating his dogs on a job well, something he had never done before with Steele since he was worried the dog might snap at him or something. But he was doing it now, and it felt good for both of them. "Thank you. Good boy", he said, smiling.

That was the only thing Roger said to his beloved malamute for next half hour, but it was the only thing that really needed to be said between them. For the 30 minutes that followed, Roger allowed Steele to rest in his chest, relaxing under the protection of his most difficult dog. Pretty soon, Roger felt himself drifting off again. Steele was so warm, and the snowy ground was so comfortable. He couldn't help closing his eyes and letting his arms and legs go limp beneath Steele's belly.

By the time the street flooded with humans, and the local doctors lifted him off the ground, Roger Greensborough was fast asleep, dreaming of Balto, the fabled hero of Nome, the mysterious wolf pack he had caught such a short glimpse of, and the black and white malamute who had obviously saved him from oblivion.

Contrary to his near-death experience before, Roger found peace in his dreams for a different kind of reason this time. For the first time since he left Nome all those years ago, Roger felt like he had kept his promise to his friend. He had saved Steele, and Steele had saved him. The relationship that every musher dreamed of having with his sled dogs, but so few ever achieved. Despite everything Roger had ever thought about himself, the man had truly succeeded in finding what Gunnar had told him about so long ago. And it felt great. Or maybe that was just the morphine that the doctors gave him that was making him feel blissful and at peace. Either way, he was loving every minute of it. Him and his faithful companion.

_**Author's Notes:**_

Haha, another mission success for team wolf-dog. Except this time, their meddling in human affairs did have more than one effect, on a number of characters. Not only did they save dozens of lives, but they helped Steele find compassion again, convinced Roger he wasn't a failure, fixed Kodi and Dusty's marriage, healed a few old wounds between rivals, and rekindled some old flames, all in one night. Man, Balto and his friends do have crazy mixed-up lives, don't they? (and they wouldn't want it any other way). But this story is still not over yet. Balto and Jenna have one last thing they need to do before their lives can go back to normal (and I'm not just talking about that Aleu thing). Balto, Jenna, and Steele still need to put to rest that love triangle that had plagued all their lives for so long. It's time Steele finally got that much-needed closure that he never got before.


	13. Chapter 13

_**Chapter 13: Love's Labor's Won (Forbidden Fruit).**_

_September 17, 1929._

"_**Perfect**_" by Justin Bieber begins.

_You make me, You make me, You make me. Yeah._

A few hours later, two sled dogs sat inside a hospital waiting room, one with a bandage around her foot, and the other with several layers of gauze wrapped around his sides. Kodi and Dusty had been bruised up pretty badly by the cave-in, but thankfully nothing was broken. Once the blizzard was over, White Mountain's veterinarian had patched up all the dog's injuries, and the ones who could walk were all permitted to visit their owners in the hospital. The ones who were awake anyway. Most of the dogs, including Dusty and Kodi, were sitting inside the crowded waiting room, relaxing until Gunnar's anesthesia wore off. But who could relax when their husband kept tickling their slightly swollen belly with his ear?

_I nearly lost my mind, tryna figure out a way to make you understand, I can't go on another day. Baby I was wrong. Been confused and led astray. Just give me one more chance. Cause I can't take what's happening. Have you ever lost someone? Tried to take it back, but the damage is done? Thought of losin you makes me feel so sad, how I'm gonna sleep when it feels this bad? I know enough's enough, it's goin to be tough to get through this._

"He's still moving around in there. Happy and excited like he always is. Just like nothing happened last night", Kodi laughed. The husky would never grow tired of hearing his mystery child flop around inside his wife's stomach. Thank god Dusty had protected him so fiercely throughout the night, huddling up into a ball to insulate her own body heat and kept her insides hot enough to incubate the baby. Kodi and Dusty would never have been the same again if their first puppy had somehow been harmed in the storm, or worse, they lost him to hypothermia.

Dusty laughed, as her husband continued to torture her by rubbing his fur against her skin over and over again, putting her in such a good mood that she barely even noticed the bandages around her feet. "_She_. When the doc was patching me up, he took a blood sample from the womb. He said it's a _she_", Dusty replied, between giggles.

"We're gonna have a daughter", Kodi realized, lifting his head up so he could look at his wife in the eye.

_I'll never be perfect. I'll never be cool. I'll always be nothing, unless I'm with you.  
Cause you make me perfect, tell me what can I do. The pieces are missing, when I'm not with you. You make me (you make me) (You make me). You make me (you make me). (You make me). You make me._

"What are we gonna call her?", Dusty asked, breathing a sigh of relief once she was sure Kodi's playful teasing had come to an end.

"I have no idea at all", Kodi replied, grinning. "Still, we have another two months to think about that. There's no need to rush. After what happened last night, I think we could all use a nice day off", Kodi continued, before rubbing his mate's stomach again, this time with his paw. Once he was finished, the husky sighed, and laid down next to Dusty, resting his head on floor. "You really came through tonight Dust, for both of us", Kodi said gratefully.

_I know that I deserve it, but have you really lost our faith? You know inside that we're worth it. There's so much left for us to say. Baby I was lost, or maybe I was just afraid. Could ya please forgive me? And hold me in your arms again?_

"Like I said before, I'm not sure I would have been able to do it if Blake hadn't been there to give me a push", Dusty said humbly.

"Yeah, me too. I'm not sure if I would have been able to hold it together long enough to actually get to you if Griff hadn't kept me calm. And dad. And Steele", Kodi added thoughtfully. He still couldn't believe that last person had actually been the voice of reason for him. He couldn't believe Steele was even capable of being the voice of reason to tell you the truth. But now it seemed he partly owed the sled dog his wife's life.

_Have you ever lost someone? Tried to take it back, but the damage is done? Thought of losin you makes me feel so sad, how I'm gonna sleep when it feels this bad? I know enough's enough, it's goin to be tough to get through this._

"You want to know what the funny part of all this is?", Kodi said all of a sudden.

"What?", Dusty asked curiously.

"Right before you left Nome, you said that the next time we split up to spend some time with our friends, we should actually make sure we have some more friends first. Well, now we have a whole bunch of them", Kodi explained.

_I'll never be perfect. I'll never be cool. I'll always be nothing, unless I'm with you. Cause you make me perfect, tell me what can I do. The pieces are missing, when I'm not with you. You make me (you make me) (You make me). You make me (you make me) (you make me). You make me._

"Then I guess it wasn't that bad of a night after all", Dusty replied, laughing with her mate, before her tone suddenly became serious again. "How is Steele doing anyway? I haven't seen him for hours now", she asked, concerned.

"I don't know. He hasn't left Roger's side ever since the humans took him here. He refused to leave even when they were patching him up. From what Uncle Kaltag told me, he actually snapped at one of them when they tried to put a lease on him", Kodi replied, chuckling. Kaltag always did like to exaggerate on a lot of things, but Kodi knew this was one of those rare times when his uncle's tall tales weren't so tall.

_Don't say nothing's perfect, cause it isn't true. Everything I need is here with you.  
Everything I see so clear with you. Everything I dream appears with you. Everything would be so-perfect…_

"And your mom and dad?", Dusty inquired.

"Waiting outside. The humans would find it a bit weird if a wolf-dog that's supposed to be a hundred miles away suddenly turns up in the middle of town, right after a blizzard. Now that we're okay, they'll be heading back for Nome soon. But don't worry, I promised Mom and Pop I'd say good-bye before they leave, I just had to make sure you were okay first", Kodi explained.

"Well, I'm obviously fine, just as alive and kicking as ever, so why are you still here? Go talk to your folks. They just walked for miles to get here, the least you can do is give them a hello. Maybe a hug or two. And tell them I said thank you too", Dusty said, pushing rather tiredly on her husband's side.

_I'll never be perfect. I'll never be cool. I'll always be nothing, unless I'm with you. Cause you make me perfect, tell me what can I do. The pieces are missing, when I'm not with you. Cause you make so… When I'm witcha baby._

Kodi smiled, and kissed his wife on the forehead. "Roger Wilco", he teased, before getting up and walking away. Once he was gone, Dusty closed her eyes, and laid her head between her paws, finally letting her hyper-sensitive guard down long enough to get the sleep she had been craving for so long. God knows she had earned it. They all had.

_You make me perfect, so perfect, perfect…_

**((()-()))**

"He tried to take a bite out of one of them?", John asked incredulously, raising his eyebrows skeptically at his friend. He had just woken up a few minutes ago, to find himself lying in a hospital bed. His old friend Roger and his dog Steele had a bed of their own, just a few feet away. Apparently, the doctors had decided it was best to place them in the same room.

"Honest, he did. I saw the whole thing when I woke up. For a minute I was afraid he was gonna get himself shot. Imagine how ironic that would have been, surviving a building falling on you, only to get shot in the hospital", Roger said, laughing at the first joke the musher had made in years.

Subconsciously, the man was aware there was a malamute lying on his bed, and that he was rubbing it on the ears, but he hardly paid the act any attention. It was purely instinctual for a man to reward the dog who was keeping him company. Roger never thought he would actually say this, but having Steele around in the room, keeping him warm by laying on top of his covers, was actually kind of comfortable. It reminded him of when he was a kid, playing with his father's trained dogs and dreaming of a day when he would lead his own team across the tundra. He had never been closer to any dog than he had since then, until now anyway. And he had found that childhood bond again in the most unlikely of canines.

"I told you, Steele really does respect you. You're his owner, and every dog has an instinct to want to protect his musher, it just took Steele a while to find his", John said, as he watched how affectionately Roger treated what was one his most unruly and uncontrollable of dogs.

"But what I don't get is, what changed? What made him start liking me? What did I do to earn his trust?", Roger asked, musing more to himself than John.

"What didn't you do? You fed him. You watched over him. You gave him a home when nobody else would. Steele, no matter how bad-tempered he is, is still a dog. And every dog, just like every person, really appreciates stuff like that, even if they don't always know it. So when Steele knew you were under there, that you were trapped and couldn't get out, his instincts to help kicked in", John surmised.

"You really think so?", Roger asked curiously.

John shrugged. "Who knows what goes on inside a dog's head. But judging by what I'm seeing now - the two of you just sitting there, acting like old friends - that's my best guess", John replied, grinning.

Steele lifted his head, and looked at the nearby window. He tilted his head to the side as saw a familiar red and white dog walk across the lawn outside, greeted by two other dogs (one brown and the other with the exact same fur type as her son), before he disappeared behind the bushes.

And just like that, Steele leapt off Roger's bed, taking the musher by surprise. He would return to Roger's side later, right now there was something important he had to do. Something he wasn't sure he'd have a chance to do later, especially if he let himself put it off again. It was time he made his first step towards moving forward, by righting some of the wrongs he did in the past. It was time Jenna Jones got her long overdue apology.

**((()-()))**

"_**This Moment With You**_" by Thomas Gomez begins.

"Thanks mom, dad. I don't know how you knew I'd need you, and I really don't care. No kid could ask for better parents", Kodi said speechlessly, as he hugged his mother and then father.

"So I guess I'm not a deadbeat dad after all, am I?", Balto joked, as he patted his son on the back.

"No, you have officially redeemed yourself", Kodi replied, laughing. The half-wolf and his parents, along with Nikki, Kaltag, and Star were hidden behind a bush next to the hospital, keeping just out of sight from any humans that may be passing by.

_This moment with you oh... you were there when I was born and I was there when you were down and everyday we share this moment._

"So you're having a daughter?", Balto inquired.

"Yeah, the doc just gave us the news today. In a few months, I will be the proud father of a beautiful baby girl", Kodi replied, still finding it hard to believe any of the words that were coming out of his mouth.

_Yeah, I needed you to be right by my side, nothing's gonna get in the way of us. It's just me and you and this is how we're going to face the world, yeah._

"You know what this means don't you? You're gonna have even less sleep these next few months", Balto said.

"What are you talking about? She's a girl, I thought she'd be all calm and mellow", Kodi asked, confused.

_Dad, I will always be with no matter what, all I have to say is that there will be good times! In this moment with you (in this moment with you)._

"No, that's just what the girls want you to believe. They want you to think they're all prissy and relaxed. But just look at your mother, can you really picture her just sitting around in the sun all day when she was a kid?", Balto asked him.

Kodi stretched his neck, and glanced over at Jenna, who was talking to Nikki, before shaking his head. "No", he admitted.

_I'm here to stay, this made the test that I have to take with or without! No matter what, I will always stay right beside you oh... Whoa._

"Exactly. And you remember how hyper your sister Aleu used to be. Little girls are just as high-strung as boys, sometimes more, because let's face facts, even as kids men are kinda lazy", Balto said, whispering now. This was one of those 'confidential type' secrets that was only ever spoken between a father and son.

_You would never let me fall, let me fall, every time that we spend our time together! You'll always be here right beside me, helping me up when I fall down, my scar's healed because of you. We have to do fight for what's right, even though we may think it's the end... when you're here it's like great times all over again!_

"Well, at least Dusty and I only have one kid", Kodi said reassuringly.

"Are you sure? Jenna and I thought we'd only have one kid or two, but we wound up having a whole litter. You and your siblings snuck up on us", Balto joked.

_There will be good times with you.. I need you right beside me! This moment you oh! As long as you're here with me nothing can stop us now! This is the moment the we have! I'll never let you down! This is our (moment)._

"Wait, are you saying there's a chance we might have five pups or six? We couldn't handle that many kids. Nobody could handle that many kids!", Kodi asked, panicking now.

"Relax Kodi. Remember what Jenna and I told you. If a blizzard isn't enough to kill you, a few pups certainly won't", Balto said reassuringly. "_Though it might feel like they are_", the hybrid thought himself, as he remembered all those times he had woken up from one of his naps to find his kids chewing on his ear, or his tail.

_There will be good times with you.. I need you right beside me! This moment you oh! As long as you're here with me nothing can stop us now! This is the moment the we have! I'll never let you down! This is our (moment). This is our moment for life! _

"_Thanks dad I love you forever, and always, this is our moment._"

**((()-()))**

After talking for a few more minutes, the father, the son, and the mother all regrouped, and stepped out from behind the bushes, preparing to say their last good-byes (until John was well enough to walk again, and Kodi's team set out for Nome anyway).

"Are you _sure_ you'll both be okay here?", Balto asked, worried.

"Dusty and I will be fine. If you're talking about Steele, there are far worse things that can happen to someone than just being stuck with a bitter sled dog", Kodi reminded him.

"Well, whenever you see him again, be sure to tell him we said thank you", Jenna requested. Even though she and husband never thought they'd be saying this, they almost wished Steele was around, so they could thank him in person for everything he had done. Little did they know they had just spoke of the devil, and the devil was due to appear.

"I will mom", Kodi promised.

"Jenna Jones, you still haven't changed at all in two years", Steele mused, taking everyone by surprise as he stepped out from the shadows. As usual, the malamute grinned ever-so-slightly out of enjoyment, as he watched his former adversaries flinch at the sight of him.

"You're still just as lovely forever. And still just as devoted to your family. You're always so willing to risk your life for them. Even when you're not even sure they're still alive", Steele mused, as he walked up to the red husky and her half-wolf husband, ignoring Kodi almost completely. Just like he expected, Balto and Jenna's muscles tensed and locked up, like they were unsure what they should do next, or what Steele would do next.

"Of course. Kodi is my son, and Dusty is my daughter. And Balto is my husband. I would do anything for them. Give up anything if I thought it would help them. It's what any good spouse would do", Jenna replied, eyeing Steele carefully as he stopped right next to her and Balto.

"And that's why I was never meant to be your husband, isn't it?", the malamute asked her, his calm, reserved tone suddenly changing into sadness and acceptance. "I could never make the kind of sacrifices for you and your kids that Bingo here could", Steele resolved.

"Steele, don't say-", Jenna was about to say, before Steele cut her off.

"Jenna, don't. Please, just don't. I've spent all these years here, wasting my life away thinking about what I am now and what I could have been…what you and I could have had together. But now I see there was never anyone else for you, nobody but that half-wolf. Even if you had chose me all those years ago, it would have been the biggest mistake of your life. After all, in all the time that you've known me you only ever asked me for one thing, and I couldn't even do that for you. So no, I'm not here to start anything with Balto. When you chose him over me, the better dog won-", Steele explained. "_even if he isn't really a dog_", the sled dog griped in his head. "-so let's just leave it at that", the malamute resolved, taking Jenna by surprise yet again by the bluntness and truthfulness of his words.

"I came here to apologize, for what I did to you before. I really do wish I could have kept my promise to you, and been that dog that you needed me to be. But I couldn't. And if there's one thing worthwhile that your son told me, _over and over again_-", Steele continued, grinding his teeth together in annoyance, as he remembered the previous night. "-it's that there's no point on dwelling on the past. I'll stay here and lead my team like I'm supposed to, you can keep on loving Balto and go back to your old life, and I'll leave you in peace like I promised you. I know I let you down, but I can still be the dog you needed me to be now, that is, if you can forgive me?", Steele asked hopefully.

"Steele, you helped me save my son. Of course I do", Jenna replied, speaking a whole lot quicker than she had expected herself to. If there was one thing about Jenna that hadn't changed over the years, it was her inability to hold a grudge. "I saw the way you rallied everyone together last night for the rescue mission, the exact sort of thing you should have done in the serum run. I'd said you've redeemed yourself", Jenna said, as she walked up to Steele, and against everyone's expectations, hugged him in a show of forgiveness.

A few years ago, Steele would have relished the idea of just touching Jenna, let along hugging her. But now, as he held her in his arms, he felt nothing. Nothing at all. The spark that he always felt whenever they touched was gone, like it had just fizzled out a long time ago along with his unrequited love for her. Yes, his heart still ached whenever he looked her, but that was mostly because of his guilt for what he had put her through. No, the part of him that used to think about her every waking minute of the day and spent hours trying to think of ways to woo her was dead. She was no more than a friend to him. And maybe that was the way it should be. Because after all, why obsess over forbidden fruit?

Once she was finished, Jenna released Steele, and looked over at something on her right - her husband of course. "But it's not just me you should be apologizing to", the husky reminded him, drawing Steele's attention towards her half-breed mate.

Balto had seemed surprised by how quickly his wife had forgiven their old tormentor, but even he had to admit he did owe Steele a debt of gratitude for what he had did the night before. The malamute had done more than Balto could have ever asked him to do, and he had done it in such a stoic, matter-of-factly way. So Balto didn't object when Jenna suddenly started embracing him, though he and Kodi had both looked clearly uncomfortable the whole time.

"Balto…I'm sorry for treating you the way I did. It was wrong for me to take my jealousy out on you, and I should have never tried to come between you and your wife. And that's about all I have to say to you in the guilt department. I could tell you that I like you now, and that we're all gonna be best friends from here on out. But I'd be lying. This isn't some make-believe story, and I'm sure as hell not gonna patronize a grown man. I know why Jenna never loved me now, but I still don't know what she saw in you either. But for whatever reason, she loved enough to marry you, and I'm gonna respect her decisions for once", Steele decided, but not without donning his usual frown.

Balto, who had been silent up to this point, now sported a frown of his own. The half-breed didn't know whether to be angry, or relieved. Steele was one of the only people in the world who could insult people and congratulate them at the same time.

"But…you do seem to make her happy. And so far you've been keeping those promises you made me", Steele admitted. "_Which is more than what you can say about me_", the sled dog thought guiltily. "You've managed to take good care of her and keep her safe. And this is Jenna we're talking about, so that's no easy feat. Not to mention you raised that pesky, annoying-", Steele rambled. "_but insightful_", the malamute added in his head. "-kid of yours over there. So I will give you that wolf-dog. You didn't do too bad", Steele said, resolving another one of his doubts by coming in a 360.

"Neither did you", Balto said, allow a small hint of a smile to appear at the edge of his lips. "Last night was totally out of character for you, but like Jenna said, the way you worked with your team is just the kind of relationship every good leader has with his teammates. I guess you found out what it means to be a lead dog after all. And if it hadn't been for you, I'm not sure we would have gotten everyone out of there in time", Balto said proudly.

"Don't thank me. Thank your kid. He was the one who didn't give up, no matter how much I begged him to. He's every bit as stubborn as his father", Steele replied, putting on his best fake-scowl towards Kodi, before softening his expression and looking over at Jenna. "And just as kind as his mother", the malamute added, allowing his sour expression to let up just a little.

"Ah, you're welcome", Kodi smiled, right before Steele groaned again, as he was hugged for the third time that day. It was official, any fear Kodi used to have of him was long gone. Along with any fear that anyone else might have of him…ever. What ever happened to respecting another sled dog's dignity? What kind of world do we live in where complete strangers can just ruin another dog's reputation whenever they felt like it?

"You're a real touchy-feely type of guy, aren't you?", the malamute huffed, once Kodi let him go a few seconds later.

"I suppose you could say that", Kodi replied, Steele's surly mood not diminishing the boy's cheery demeanor at all.

"You're real lucky I like you kid", Steele grumbled, before turning back towards Balto. There was still one last thing he needed to tell the half-wolf before he left. "Balto, you're been Jenna's husband for four years now, but you're only halfway out of the woods. It's still your job to make sure nothing happens to her. Or like I said before, I _will_ find you", Steele reminded him, growling at the end.

"Will do", Balto replied, mimicking a salute by raising his paw to his forehead. But before Steele could growl out a reply, Balto thrust out his paw, extending it towards Steele in his own act of kindness. "Good-bye Steele", the wolf-dog said softly.

This time Steele didn't hesitate, reaching out and gripping Balto's paw with hardly any resistance from either party. "Good-bye Balto", the malamute said.

"I wish you and your team the best of luck. You already told me to take care of Jenna, so I want you to take good care of Roger", Balto said, as he released his rival's hand.

Steele nodded, giving Balto all the confirmation the hybrid needed, before walking past the half-breed and once again turning his attention back towards his wife.

"Good-bye Steele", Jenna said, a small ghost of a tear appearing under her eye. After his brutal assault on her husband, Jenna never thought she'd find herself crying over Steele ever again. But here she was, once again saying good-bye to one of her oldest friends/enemies, and fighting back tears doing so. History had cruel way of repeating itself.

"Still crying over me, eh?", Steele said teasingly, before laughing to himself and throwing his arms around the husky, patting her on the back. "Jenna…it's been real. Take good care of your family, and don't forget me", the malamute requested, whispering into her ear even though he knew her husband and her son would still hear him.

"I won't", Jenna promised. Despite all her hard efforts, a single lonely tear slid down her face, wetting her fur, and chilling the skin beneath her eye. Though she fought to keep her eyelids open, the burning, stinging feel in her eyes became much too painful, and she had to close them to protect them from the wind. But even after she had managed to warm them up, she still kept them closed, in fear of losing all control. This was really it. As hard as it was for her believe, given all the history they had shared together, both good and bad, that this was really the last time she would ever see Steele. And she didn't want to ruin the moment by crying. She wanted to be strong for their final moments together as friends.

"Jenna Jones…good-bye", Steele said, before taking a deep breath, and forcing his arms his let to go of the husky beneath him. He had finally let her go, for real this time. _Now_ it was over for both of them. _Now_ they could part and go their separate ways, with Steele's conscience finally cleared.

This was how he always wanted Jenna to remember him, on the rare days his face popped inside his old love's mind. He wanted her to think of him as Steele, the man who had managed to keep the hardest of promises for her. Steele, the dog who had made some mistakes in his lifetime, but finally did what he should have done years ago, helped her husband save her family. Steele, the dog she could always count on whenever her or Balto needed help. Because they both knew his true purpose in life now. While Balto had always been meant to be her soulmate, it had always been his rival's destiny to be her best friend (imagine that). Steele, the man who had always been the villain of the story, had finally become a hero in his own right.

Jenna's eyes were still closed when Steele let her go from his embrace, and she still kept them shut even when she heard him walk off and disappear down the street, leaving her standing alone by the bushes. It wasn't until she felt a different pair of arms around her, which she instinctively knew were Balto's, that she allowed herself to open her eyes, and nuzzle her lover on the neck. "I hate good-byes, they always make me cry", she mumbled, as she wiped away another stream of salt water from under her eye.

"I understand Jen. We'll all miss him too", Balto said sympathetically, ignoring how weird those words sounded while they were coming out of his mouth. Out of the corner of his eye, Balto could see his son going back inside the hospital.

Kodi decided that it was best if he left his mom and dad alone for a while, his parents would need some time to sort their feelings out. And so would he.

Kodi had succeeded in his mission. He had saved Steele, and given him a new chance at life. But he had never foreseen this. He could never have predicted that he would actually miss him when he left. But in just one night, Steele had become just as much as of a friend to him as he was to his parents, and the boy would never forget the sacrifices Steele had made for them that day. None of them would.

But despite what they all thought, including Steele, Kodi knew their ordeal still wasn't over yet. There was still one last thing that had gone unsaid. There was still one last person who hadn't got a chance to say their good-byes. Someone who needed closure just as badly as Jenna and Steele did. Which was why, before he went back inside, Kodi tapped on Kaltag's shoulder, and whispered something into his uncle's ear.

**((()-()))**

Later that day, around noon, Steele laid down on one of White Mountain's sidewalks, thinking to himself like he usually did. He didn't know what had troubled him more, saying good-bye to Jenna, or the fact he had to start all over again now. Kodi had said he could build a new life for himself if he wanted. After all, he already had an owner and a team. But what about love? What about finding a mate and starting a family?

Unlike most dogs who were only attracted to either members of the same or the opposite sex, Steele had had numerous encounters with both men and women over the years. However, after all his one night stands, Jenna was the only person he had ever truly loved. Or at least, the only dog he had ever been interested in loving. Once he met her, he had never even thought of pursuing any other dogs, except when he would hook up with other sled dogs for the occasional relief (sometimes his hormones got too strong for him to focus on his job, and we all know what that's like).

But now, Steele wasn't sure if he knew what love was anymore. He used to think it was all about mating. About finding a beautiful young woman and lying with her so she could have his kids, who would of course grow up to be healthy and strong, and pursue a future as sled dogs just like their old man. But his new revelation about how he used to be an arrogant fool just proved that everything Steele used to know about the world was wrong. So now that he had to start over from scratch, how he could possibly find a mate when he didn't even know where to begin?

"I thought I'd find you here, brooding", someone said from behind him.

Steele's eyes snapped open, and the malamute lifted his head to find Kaltag standing only a few feet away from him. "Kal, why did you follow me here?", Steele asked, annoyed.

"I saw what you did for Jenna back there, helping her out by saying good-bye to her and all. Let me just tell you, that was a hard thing to do pal. I never thought I'd see the day when you'd do something for someone other than yourself", Kaltag whistled, sitting down right next to the malamute in the snow.

"The kid rubbed off on me", Steele grumbled, blowing off Kaltag's question so he could act like the husky wasn't even next to him. He preferred to be alone right now.

"I've gotta remember to thank Kodi. He sure did a number on you. He changed you into the dog you were when I first met you", Kaltag noted.

"The last time I checked, Kodi's a half-wolf, not a wizard. And I'm pretty sure I'm not two years old", Steele said sarcastically, his tone growing more and more impatient as Kaltag refused to take the hints he was dropping. If Kal didn't leave soon, Steele would get up himself and find a new spot to sulk.

"Not like that", Kaltag frowned, slapping Steele on the back and taking the malamute by surprise with his boldness. Steele was about to growl at him, and just plain tell him to go away, but Kaltag didn't give him a chance to speak. "I mean you're a lot like you were when I first joined your team, before you got all cocky and full of yourself. When you actually cared about more about what happened to your team than winning races. That was the dog I pledged allegiance to, not the psychotic glory hound", Kaltag explained, smiling.

"Yeah, well glad to see I made your day back there", Steele muttered, his temper subsiding again as he thought about Kaltag's words, for now.

"You remembered the first day I joined the team? You whistled when you saw me, said I was the first dog you had seen in months that was just your size. You said I'd make an excellent wheel dog. I guess even then you knew I'd be the perfect addition to your gang, big, bulky, and didn't ask questions. If this was a mob movie or something, you'd have been the brains and I'd have been the muscle, right?", Kaltag mused, his tone surprisingly calm for someone who was looking back on what should have been their worst memories.

Steele hung his head down, not saying a word as Kaltag continued. He thought after he apologized to Balto and Jenna, he was done feeling guilty, but then Kaltag had to come along and remind him he still had some leftover skeletons in closet. Suddenly, the weight on Steele's shoulders got a thousand times heavier, as Kaltag unloaded a whole new ton of regret on him.

"Remember the first time you and I got together? I had only been on your team for about a month. You seemed distracted one day, even after Gunnar unhooked us, so I decided to talk to you in private. But when I asked you about it, you kissed me, right out of nowhere, right on the lips. I pushed you off me, and asked you if you were crazy. That's when you told me you knew about me, and how you had known ever since the first day you saw me. You had noticed just how nervous I always was around men. I was always worried I would say too much or do things the wrong way, and you picked up on how I would always babble on during conversations. I remember the exact words you said to me. They summed up my character perfectly, even now. You told me that even though I was the picturesque example of masculinity, I was also living proof that even burliest of men could be sodomites", Kaltag said, paying no mind to his remorseful ex-leader as recounted that faithful day eight years ago.

Steele lifted his eyes towards his friend, but let his head stay hanging down. He didn't want Kaltag to see his face. Not after everything he had done to him.

"And I was so scared. I didn't even try to deny anything you said, I just stood there until you got back up. I knew you probably weren't gonna try to blackmail me or anything, since you were the one who made the first move and not me, but I still asked you if you were gonna tell the other dogs, that's how afraid I was. Imagine that, a big guy like me, complete at your mercy. Of course, you don't have to imagine it, do you? You were there. You said no, but being the devil that you are, you had to come up to me and start putting your paws on me", Kaltag said, before laughing wryly.

"You rubbed my neck, shoulders and chest, stroking my fur like I was your girlfriend or something. God, your paws felt so good on me. I was so ashamed for letting you tempt me the way you did, that I was so weak I let you take away all my self-respect and dignity. But no matter how wrong it was supposed to have felt, I still wanted you to do so much more to me with those hands", Kaltag said, shivering as remembered the spine-tingling touches the malamute had teased him with that morning. He still couldn't believe the way Steele had reduced him, a big strapping jock, to quivering wreck with only a few well-placed rubs, the same way he had destroyed Griff's self-control without even breaking a sweat. The malamute was obviously some kind of canine siren. There was no other explanation for how just one dog, who wasn't even that likeable or inviting by the way, could have such an aphrodisiacal effect on both men and women.

"You said you had never had sex with a man before, and you were curious about it. You said you had heard from other sled dogs that it was pretty hot, and a quick way to blow off some steam. You had guessed I was virgin too, and told me that if I wanted to I could share my first time with you. You said you would understand if I said no, and that you wouldn't tell anyone if I decided not to go through with it. That's the kind of guy you were back then. You were still a prejudiced jerk, but you actually respected your teammates", Kaltag said, before glancing Steele, who was still keeping silent.

"I knew I should have said no. I knew I should have pushed you off me and told you you were sick. No, I should have done worse than that. I should you kicked your ass, and called you faggot or queer, like most dogs would have done. But by that point, all my common sense was gone. The only thing I was thinking about was how much I wanted you. And not just your body, your very essence. I wanted to feel you in my arms, and devour your mouth with all my might. I was a starving man, presented with the most irresistible of forbidden fruit. So when you kissed me the second time, the only thing I did was pull you closer. God, I never wanted to let you go", Kaltag finished, shivering again as relieved that day in his head. And to his surprise, Steele actually said something this time.

"I remember that. I told you that if you held me any tighter you were gonna break me", the malamute mumbled.

"And then we'd never get to the good part", Kaltag said, finishing his sentence. "And what a night it was", he said, taking a deep breath before continuing. "Of course, when the next morning came around you acted like nothing ever happened, and I was perfectly fine with that. You didn't touch me like that again for weeks, until the new year anyway", Kaltag continued.

"The night that Spike idiot picked a fight a with me", Steele said, growling a little under his breath as he remembered that new years evening, seven years prior.

He had been hanging out in the Old Mill, eating a few bones with his team and showing off for the ladies as usual, when this rival sled dog, Spike, had come up to him, wanting to start something. Steele's team had just beat Spike's in a race, and of course the losing team wanted to have a word with Steele about how he had supposedly 'snapped' at them during the run (which he actually had, a game-changing technique he had just learned how to use). Steele had had fights with other dogs before, wheel dogs and stray mutts that had tried to badmouth him in the past, so he wasn't scared at all when Spike challenged him and his boys.

In the fight that ensued, Steele and his gang came out of it the winners as usual, but this brawl with different than all the ones that had came before it. This was the first time Steele had beat the leader of another team, the first time the alpha dog had dominated over another alpha. The rush of power he got from seeing his rival be vanquished under his paws was incredible. He felt invincible for the rest of the night, and truth be told, he never stopped feeling invincible, not until the great serum run of 1925 anyway. That night was the first step he took into becoming the power-mad monster that everyone in Nome knew him as.

"Even hours after the fight was over, you were still so pumped up. You said you would never be able to go to sleep that night, and that was the last thing you told me before you tackled me to the ground, and claimed me as yours", Kaltag said, frowning now. "And what started out as a once-in-a-blue moon kind of thing turned into a once-a-week occurrence. You and I were tearing it up every other night, and I was loving every minute of it. The fun, the pain, the pleasure, having this secret that none of my friends knew. It was the kind of affair that girls like Dixie and Sylvie dream about", Kaltag said, laughing again, but laughing bitterly, as if he was condemning himself for how stupid he had been in his youth.

"But I knew it wasn't just the sex I loved. I loved _you_. And not just your good looks. I liked your sarcastic sense of humor, the way you dominated in a fight, the special kick in your step and the swagger in your walk. People always talked about how arrogant you were, but your confidence was one of the things I loved best about you, or at least it used to be. I loved you so much then. I knew I wanted to be more than just your friend or your teammate, or even your partner in bed. I wanted to be so much more than the guy you fooled around with. Even though I knew it wasn't possible, and our reputations would never allow it, I wanted to be your husband, your mate. And for a while, I thought you wanted the same thing, until you met Jenna. And that was the beginning of the end for us. Not that there was ever any '_us_' in the first place. Our relationship was nothing but a creation of my own wishful thinking, as you were quick to remind me later", Kaltag continued.

"It was right around that time that you started to change. You started working Nikki, Star, and I harder and longer. You started getting more vicious in races. You went from a few nips and barks to plain-out attacking dogs and sabotaging their mushers. Not to mention you got completely obsessed with tormenting Balto, and even more obsessed with stalking Jenna. Even our love-making sessions changed. All the spark and passion that we used to have was gone. It was just sex, plain and simple. Hot-blooded and steam-charged as ever, but sex nonetheless. Completely empty, meaningless sex between two men, not two lovers. Like it was an activity, or a necessity to you, something that you wanted to get done up and over with as quickly as you could so that you could focus on new ways to get to Balto, or romance Jenna", Kaltag said sadly, with a hint of anger beneath the sorrow.

"At first, I tried to convince myself that Balto and Jenna were the reason you had changed so much, that it was all their fault you were so obsessed with them. But eventually even I had to admit you weren't the same dog I had met when I joined your team. And you certainly weren't the same Steele I had fallen in love all those years ago. I didn't know who you were anymore. But you weren't the man I wanted to be with anymore", Kaltag said, turning back to look at Steele, who's head was hung down even lower now than before. If he dipped his skull down any further, there was a good chance it would fall right off his neck.

"In the last year before the serum run, I told you I wanted to end what we had, and you…you just told me 'okay', and went on about your day. Like what I had just said meant nothing, at all. Like everything, all our history, all those cold nights we had spent together in bed were all just a lie, just a façade to get what you wanted. And me, the idiot who gave up his morality, his dignity, his self-respect, and his virginity, had given it to you. All in the name of '_love_'", Kaltag said angrily, causing Steele to cringe as the husky's voice rose in pitch.

"For the first day since I met you, I hated you. I really hated you. Of course, you were still my lead dog, so like all the others I pretended to still like you, but really, I hated you to the deepest depths of hell. And when the serum run came, and I watched you practically murder dozens of children just because you were too selfish to accept help from a wolf-dog, my mind was made up. When I left you out there in that blizzard, all by yourself with no hope of ever getting back to Nome, I felt nothing. Nothing at all. Just relief, and wonder. Wonder about why I hadn't done that sooner. Imagine that, I had just abandoned the love of my life, and the only regrets I had was not doing it sooner", Kaltag said, calming down as his tone switched from anger to regret again, and then an emotion that sounded a lot like shame.

It was at that point that Steele had had enough listening to Kaltag wallow in self-pity, and decided to say something else. "I deserved it. You did what you had to do to save the town", he said softly, once again doing something else he never thought he'd do in his life, admitting his old teammate had actually done something right.

"Maybe so, but that doesn't mean I had any right to feel glad about it. Nor did I have any right to be disappointed when I found out you had survived the blizzard. I hated you so much that I actually wished you were dead. It wasn't until days after you were gone that I realized I was turning into you. I had been around you for so long that your obsession with hatred was starting to rub off on me, corrupting me too. So I decided to forget about you entirely. To forget about you, and the nights we shared together, so I could focus on starting over. After all, we had a new team leader, who's wife was expecting pups, the old team had a lot to think about over that next year", Kaltag said, his mood lightening again, as he remembered the day Jenna gave her birth to litter of pups, and the full magnitude of him becoming an uncle had hit him for the first time. Oh, what a happy day that had been for all of them, with many more to follow.

"You tried to forget about me, and move on with your life? Well then, I hate to admit it Kal, but you were a bigger dog than I was then. When I left Nome, I didn't even try to forget", Steele said guiltily.

"Yes, I know. Only a year after the last time you showed your mug around town, the team learned firsthand from Balto about your little '_visit_' to Jenna's house", Kaltag said wryly, his good mood disappearing as quickly as it had came. "You should be glad it was your own team who took you down that night. If it had been any of us we would have ripped you apart for what you almost did to that innocent pup", the husky growled.

"And I would have deserved that too", Steele replied, not even bothering to argue. What would be the point of arguing when everything Kaltag was saying was completely true? After all, denial was part of what ruined his life in the first place.

"Just when I was starting to forget you, you show up again, with your same old tricks and same old obsessions. But your little sojourn did have one good result. You reminded me why I was trying to forget about you, and why I had stopped loving you - just when I thought you couldn't stoop any lower, you always found new ways to horrify me", Kaltag said condescendingly.

Eventually, Steele couldn't lower his head any further, and snapped it back up to reveal his usual icy-blue eyes were now darkened with remorse and regret. "Kal, is there reason you came to talk to me? Besides trying to make me feel guilty? Because if that's it, it's working", the malamute asked, though in a calm, reserved way rather than his usual, impatient retort.

However, Kaltag acted like he hadn't heard him and simply continued on with his story, though Steele didn't proceed to stop him in any way. "I tried to act like I wasn't shaken up by what happened, but I guess I wasn't as convincing as I thought I was. Because three years later, just last week, Kodi asked me if I liked men. He was just a kid, no more than a few years old, but somehow he had guessed everything", Kaltag said in disbelief.

"Sounds like that meddling wolf-dog alright. Did you tell him anything?", Steele asked, sincerely interested now. He knew Kodi was good at reading people (he had seen right through his façade only a few hours after meeting him), an annoying trait he had no doubt picked up from his half-breed father, but he had no idea the boy was that good.

"Of course. I had no choice, the boy had me cornered. But I didn't tell him about you. When I didn't want to tell him anything about else, he told me we'd talk about it again the next time he saw me. Of course, I wasn't going to tell him anything else even if he asked again, he already knew too much as it was. But it's funny how fate works. We still ended up talking about it anyway, which is why I'm here, talking to you right now. He talked me into telling you something", Kaltag explained.

"Tell me what?", Steele asked, before his curiosity once again turned into frustration, as Kaltag ignored his question again and started recapping the previous night.

"I could try to tell you how surprised I was when I found out you were here, living so close to our home, but I can't. There just aren't strong enough words to do the feeling justice. But I guess the closest I can get is '_how the fuck can that son-of-a-bitch be here?_!'. And for a while, I didn't realize there was something different about you, the only thing I could think about was how you had a lot of nerve showing your face around one of Balto's relatives after everything you'd done to all of us. Until I noticed the way you treated Kodi, how you growled at him and insulted him just like everyone else, but you listened to him nonetheless. I've never seen you take orders from anyone, not even your own musher, let alone the son of a half-breed. Even now I still can't really grasp what happened last night", Kaltag said.

"At first I thought you were just lying, putting on an act to gain our sympathies and stab us in the back again as soon as we got out of there. It was the sort of thing you'd do. But I couldn't be sure. Because when I looked at you, I saw something in you that I hadn't seen for years, not since I first met you. Kindness. Genuine kindness for another person", Kaltag said, placing his paw on Steele's shoulder in disbelief.

"So that's when you decided to 'test me'?", Steele guessed, raising his eyebrow.

"Yes", Kaltag replied, grinning shamelessly at the malamute. "I had to be sure my theory about you was right before I let my guard down and did some stupid. But when I realized I actually was right, I couldn't believe it was really true. You were back. The _real_ you I mean. After all these years, someone had finally succeeded in finding the real you and bringing him back from the abyss. The kind, selfless Steele who had kissed me that summer morning and showed me true happiness, things I would have never even dreamed of finding by myself. Years after I had given up hope on you, the man I loved was really back. I wanted to scream, and jump for joy like I was a newborn puppy or something. I wanted to make a complete fool of myself and not care who saw. But since we had a job to do, I settled for a handshake. But even all that stuff I just told you was nothing compared to what I really wanted to do. And truth be told, I'm not sure I would have worked up the nerve to do it right now, if it hadn't been for Kodi, meddling as always", Kaltag said, laughing.

It was right around that point that Steele realized Kaltag was now only a few inches away from him. The sled dog had been gradually scooting closer and closer to him throughout the entire story, until they were now sitting side-by-side, less than an arm's length apart. However, even this still wasn't enough for Steele to get what Kaltag was throwing down. "You still haven't told me what '_it_' is", the malamute reminded him confusedly, before he was suddenly pushed into his old teammate's chest. For the third time in under 24 hours, Steele found himself being hugged again by another man. And the only reason it didn't feel awkward or embarrassing to him this time was because he didn't have time to feel self-conscious, not when his lips were currently being melded with Kaltag's, something that melted away any other kind of distraction immediately.

"_**Oh My Love**_" by Thomas Gomez begins.

_I got family somewhere around the world, thinking about you in my heart, this is where you belong oh, you're just my type of guy, we could have it all._

Sure, Steele and Kaltag had fooled around in the past. Whenever the malamute was bored and there weren't any females around he would get in the mood for something rough and rowdy, the kind of lovemaking you'd only ever get with a guy. And Kaltag was the perfect candidate. Like the tan husky had said himself, he was big, had lots of a muscle, and he didn't ask questions. And when they were together, they weren't gentle with each other, at all (if anyone had ever seen their lovemaking sessions, they would have probably described them as a pair sadistic masochists). Steele had always felt kind of guilty for using his own teammate afterwards, but that guilt was always overshadowed by his sexual needs (it sucked not having a girlfriend). And as the years went by, and his heart turned to stone, even that small amount of guilt ceased to exsist.

So even in some of their most heated, intoxicating sessions, they had never kissed. Not a real kiss anyway. A kiss was something tender and compassionate. Something that you gave someone you truly loved, as a universal sign of affection. And since Steele had never loved anyone besides himself, he had never really kissed anyone before.

_This is it. I could be lost without you. This is our love together, forever. This is love forever!_

Another reason for that was that even though Steele was pretty open-minded when it came to his sexuality, he was still a slave to male stereotypes just like most guys. Since kissing your mate was something that was generally associated with women, kissing a man and his holding his paw was something that Steele always considered 'too sissified' or 'too gay' for him (after all, this was the 1920s, not the 2010s). He was mostly into rough, no-bars-held sex with rugged, robust guys like Kaltag and Nikki, who fit the 'manly men' image of the time.

Sure he had kissed Kaltag during their mutual first time, but that was mostly as a way of seducing him, and he did the same to Griff later in order to humiliate him. But he had never kissed someone in the way you would kiss a lover before, man or woman (much to the disappointment of dozens of ladies). But to Steele's surprise, he loved the feeling more than he ever thought he would.

_Oh my love, y-y-you got it bad, you're so my type, you're the guy, you're my love, we can do anything you want. Oh-h-h, m-m-my, l-l-love, we can have it all, we can do it again if you want. Welcome to my heart, yeah!_

Steele loved the way their breaths mingled, their internal body heat swimming from one mouth to the next while their tongues interlaced. He didn't know how he was managing to move his lips in perfect sync with Kaltag's, and he didn't care. He was too busy enjoying the feeling of complete and utter bliss while it lasted. Perhaps this was how Kaltag had felt the first time Steele kissed him, and why the husky had become endeavored with him with so quickly. He had spent all these years waiting to do the same for Steele as Steele had done for him - give him his first real kiss. So all those times he and Kaltag had joined together on boring winter days, they had been missing out on one of the best parts of lovemaking. Which ironically, was one of the simplest. Apparently, this was what Kodi had talked Kaltag into doing. Giving Steele what he had always regretted not giving him before, before they said last good-byes.

_Dude, don't think that you're losing your swag, you're the best thing that's ever happened to me. I got your heart, you got my beat, we got a heartbeat for life._

When Kaltag pulled away from him, a whimper actually escaped from the malamute's lips. The idea of him, bomb-ass Steele, begging someone to continue would have normally been humiliating and degrading to such a proud sled dog, but right now Steele craved his partner's lips so badly that he really didn't give a damn about dignity anymore. This was the first time he had ever kissed a man without feeling confidence, dominance, or even arousal, only happiness and content, and he didn't want to lose those feelings so quickly. He wanted go at it long and slow. He wanted to truly savor the feeling of his first kiss.

_Yeah, I can make you dance, I can make you do anything in our life! This is what we got do in our life! We'll do it all over again!_

This was something he never felt with Kaltag before. It was the spark. The spark of romance. It was something Steele had always thought he would feel with Jenna if they were together (he would feel a few wisps of it whenever they talked), but never a man, and certainly not Kaltag. Maybe the potential had always been there, but he had never allowed himself to feel it because he had never given it a chance. Until now.

_Oh my love, nobody rocks it the way that you do, you are my world. I got the key to your heart!... Oh my l-l-love, you are my heart! Oh my world, nothing's going to stop me from loving, oh loving, you! This is love!_

"Like I said, I really owe Kodi", Kaltag chuckled, before leaning forward again, and continuing what he started. For the first time since their first kiss all those years ago, Steele found himself becoming the submissive partner, relaxing his muscles and sinking into his lover's embrace as Kaltag straddled him in his arms. For once, just once, Kaltag was a leader and not a follower. Unfortunately, like all living creatures, they both had to come up for air eventually, so they forced their tongues to part ways for a quick oxygen refill.

_Oh my love, nobody rocks it the way that you do, you are my world. I got the key to your heart!... Oh my l-l-love, you are my heart! Oh my world, nothing's going to stop me from loving, oh loving, you! This is love..._

Kaltag laughed, and slapped Steele on the back, his boldness taking the malamute by surprise. Apparently, Steele wasn't the only one had found it in him to change overnight. Kaltag was a new man than the one he had been the day before. He was much bolder man now, who knew that life was much too short for him not to take risks. After all, he had spent his entire life pining over this man, and he sure as hell wasn't gonna let Steele walk out of his life again until he said and did everything he never got a chance to do before. "God, you have no idea how long I've wanted to do that", Kaltag said proudly.

And that was all Kaltag needed to say in order to kill Steele's buzz, and bring back all that guilt he had been harboring for the past thirty minutes. Suddenly, he remembered why he couldn't allow things to go any further than they had already went. "Kal…I'm sorry for using you, and treating you the way I did. I know you…you love me, or at least you say you do. And I can't deny that when you kissed me, that was the best goddamn thing I've felt in years. But, I can't do this with you. Not again. You deserve someone better than me. Someone who's into all that touchy-feely stuff you like, and will treat you right", Steele insisted, backing away from the husky as if to emphasize his point.

However, this didn't dissuade Kaltag. Far from it, he simply one-upped his lover's footsteps. Every time Steele took a step back, Kaltag took two steps forward. "Oh stop the heart-of-ice crap, you're not fooling anyone. Aren't you forgetting that I know you? The real you? The one that Kodi got through last night? So I know that you _are_ the kind of guy who's good enough for me, and you _will_ treat me right", Kaltag insisted.

"How can you know that? Huh? How? I turned on you once, who's to say I won't do it again?!", Steele barked, pretending to be angry now.

"I just do. The last time it happened, I knew you were being corrupted by your own greed for years, but I didn't do anything to stop it. I just stood by and watched as my own lover destroyed his life. Because that's what I was, a watcher and a follower, just like you said last night. But you also said something else that was true, and that's that sometimes you need someone to stop you. If someone had spoken up and done what Kodi had done, if I had had the nerve to do what Kodi had done, you wouldn't have turned out the way you did. But I can do it now. I can be there to stop you if you ever need me to. You said you can be whatever Jenna needs you to be now. Well, I can be what you've already needed Steele…a mate", Kaltag proclaimed.

Steele stood there, staring at Kaltag with an expression that was unreadable, before shaking his head in denial. "Kal, don't be ridiculous. By the end of today you're going back to Nome with Jenna and Balto, and Roger will keep on traveling. We won't even see each other again after this", Steele reminded him.

"We'll find a way", Kaltag replied, unfazed. Steele was about to argue again, when Kaltag placed his paw on his shoulder to stop him, his teasing mood becoming very serious again. "Steele, we've all done impossible things over these last few days, you especially. You've been alone for years now, saving yourself for the right person. And so have I. We've both waited years for this, and our chance has finally come. I know this means you'll never get to have pups like you always planned you would, but this is your chance for a happy life with someone who loves you and wants to spend the rest of their days with you. It's what every dog in the world dreams of. So don't let it pass you by again. Please, not this time", Kaltag begged.

This time, Steele didn't answer right away, which was a good sign, it meant he was actually considering what Kaltag had just told him. And the reason his words had stuck, instead of just passing through the malamute's ears, was because they perfectly mirrored what Kodi had told him the other evening. And it was impossible to ignore something once it had been said twice, even for Steele.

He had been fixated on Jenna Jones almost his entire life, dreaming of the day they'd get married and have kids. It had taken him years to realize it was only a fool's dream, nothing more than wishful thinking. And in all that time, he had never even considered anyone else, only waiting in solitude for his most desperate of wishes to come true. While his real true love, Kaltag, suffered mercilessly at his hand, his oldest friend a victim of his own cruelty and ignorance.

Now that he had said good-bye to Jenna, he had a chance to undo all that, and finally give what they had a second chance. The final step towards making a new life for himself. Or like Kodi said, he could keep living in the past and die cold and alone, his final thoughts in life being about why the world hadn't gone his way like he had wanted it to. This was the choice Kodi had been preparing him to make since the day they met.

Finally, after thinking for more than one nerve-racking minute, Steele made up his mind, and the sled dog opened his mouth, struggling to find the right words to describe what he was feeling. "Kal…if you really sure this is what you want, and if you really want a washed-up old glory hound like me, I'm willing to try this again if you are", the malamute conceded. And that was all he got a chance to say before overwhelming feeling of bliss returned to his senses, as Kaltag pounced on him and tackled his old lead dog to the ground, the complete opposite of how their old encounters used to go.

_This is love..._

This time, the kiss became heated much more quickly, and what started off as a few kisses and caresses of the fur turned into something else entirely. In less than a minute, the two dogs couldn't their paws off each other, grappling with each other in the snow, and wrestling each other for dominance without ever breaking their kiss. This was what Steele loved best about being with a man. The roughhousing. Something he could never do with a woman. With girls he always had to be gentle. He wasn't able tackle her to the ground and climb onto her chest like he was able to with Kaltag. Nor could he do many of his other favorite positions with her, most of which involved fighting for dominance. Whether he was a sadist or a masochist, Steele always did love a good dog fight, and when you mixed that with lovemaking, the malamute was really in his element.

Pretty soon, they decided to get out of the street with their mock-fighting (they were drawing lots of unwanted attention from the other dogs), and took their little soiree to one of White Mountain's many abandoned buildings. Where it lasted for the next two hours. But neither Steele or Kaltag noticed the time flying by, or the sun ghosting across the sky. The two soul-mates were having way too much fun enjoying what little time they had together while it lasted. But little did they know, there would be many more good times to come after this, and it was all thanks to one persistent half-breed.

**((()-()))**

That night, Steele sat on top of Roger's hospital bed again, listening carefully to his owner's conversation, while the others (Kodi, Dusty, Kirby, Ralph, Ron, Hal, Jake, Blake, Griff, etc) laid down on the floor. By now, Balto and the others were well on their way back to Nome, and would be back in their hometown by the next morning.

Steele had already said his good-byes hours before, but even now he still couldn't believe Kaltag was gone. He of course had known this would happen. He knew it would be the price he would have to pay when he let himself get close to Kaltag that afternoon, and he had gladly taken it. But even after all the time he had had to prepare himself, he still couldn't believe how much his heart ached for his new lover. It hurt so much worse than it had when he had said good-bye to Jenna. That pain had been nothing compared to this. He didn't just want Kaltag around, he _needed_ him.

Still, the situation wasn't that bleak. The conversation Roger was currently having with John had managed to give Steele hope again (which was why he was listening so intently). But it had also given him a new set of problems.

"So you're still going back to Nome anyway?", John asked surprisingly.

"Yeah", Roger replied indifferently.

"Well, it's just that I thought you would want to keep Steele, since you know he loves you now", John reasoned.

"I said I was going back to Nome, I never said I was giving the dog back", Roger replied, causing John (and all the dogs in the room) to raise their eyebrows. After he saw his friend still wasn't getting it, Roger decided he better elaborate on his plan. "I've decided I'm going to keep Steele. It's what Gunnar would want me to do. But I'm still going back home once I get out of this hospital. Me and my team, we've been traveling all across Alaska for years now, and what happened last night just proves it's time for us to hang it up. We could all use some rest and relaxation", Roger explained.

"Well what about your job? Who's gonna deliver the mail?", John asked.

"John, you work in the postal industry. You knew there are plenty of mushers and their teams in this country just waiting to take my place when I leave. I'll probably take a job in the general store, and live out the rest of my days where I started out. Good old Nome, Alaska. Cold, snowy, but with beautiful beaches by the sea", the man said, sighing contently as he laid back in his pillow.

Steele glanced at his tired owner with a look of uncertainty. He had mixed feelings about this. A few years ago he would have killed for the chance to go back to his hometown. But now he didn't know how he could show his face back there again. Especially since, as he far as he knew, Nome was where Balto and his family lived. But on the plus side, this meant his one-day thing with Kaltag would definitely be extended into indefinite thing.

If Kaltag was here, the husky would no doubt be rubbing in it his face. "_I told you it would all work out_", he imagined his lover saying to him. Steele wished he could be as optimistic as his partner.

_**Author's Notes:**_

Boy, this one was a doozy. I would apologize for only posting one chapter today, but I think we can all agree that this chapter was more like two-in-one. I haven't written one this long since chapter 2. Hence, the reason why they both have Shakespeare titles (in chapter 2, Steele loses the love of his life, and here he finds true love again. Not to mention they're both around the same length, this one's only shorter by four pages). There was so much stuff to cover here, but as usual, I enjoyed writing all of it (when you write fanfics, all the hard work is well worth the end result, wouldn't ya say? And it's the same with music).

This chapter contains two more original songs by Kodiwolf321, "_**This Moment**_" and "_**Oh My Love**_", one written for Balto and Kodi, and the other for Kaltag and Steele (though it could have been written for Blake and Griff, it fits both pairings). Either way, they fit into the context of this chapter perfectly (though "_**This Is Love**_" was actually extended by a few verses). The songs here, instead of being presented in their normal 'bold/italic' format, are written in simple italic. Since none of the characters are actually singing these songs, they're intended more as background music than part of the actual scene (like incidental music in movies).

I've been waiting a long time to write the Kaltag/Steele pairing (since Tom and I agreed on the final draft of the script), but it's been well worth the wait. Just like Balto/Steele, I find there aren't enough fics about these two. Actually, there's no fics at all. In fact, I didn't always have _this_ ending in mind for "_**The Revenge and Redemption of Steele**_". When Kodiwolf and I were discussing what this fic would be about, I thought a lot about what would happen to Steele. After all, I knew Kodi would come to town, Steele would try to fight him, and Kodi would get him to change his mind, while broadening his world view and trying to get him to be a better person. And then disaster would strike, and Kodi would talk Steele into helping his parents save Dusty. But what would happen to Steele after that? Where's his happy ending?

I knew I didn't want to this fic to end with Steele being alone again, cause that would just be depressing (even bad guys deserve second chances, especially after everything Steele has done to redeem himself). But for obvious reasons, he couldn't win Jenna's heart (that was never even an option in the first place. The whole point of this story was for him to move on from Jenna, besides I could never have her break Balto's heart like that and disrupt her family). I thought about introducing an OC for him to fall in love with, but I decided against that too. I felt it needed to be someone from the movie. Dixie was out as well, because having her end up with Steele anyway after she denounced him would just make her seem weak with no sense of self-respect (whenever I write for female characters, I like them to be both smart and strong-willed female, since a lot of guyxgirl fics fall into the stereotypes of women being weak and girly). And Sylvie…that was a real laugh.

Finally, I decided his true love didn't necessarily have to be woman. Like I said before, I've always wanted to experiment with Steele's sexuality, and I realized that this story was a big opportunity, since Steele is a main character here. In my previous Balto fics, Steele was just a supporting villain who appeared every now and again, popping up out of nowhere to harass Balto like a ghost. Of course, his true love couldn't be Balto, for the same reasons that it couldn't be Jenna. Luckily, I had the perfect candidate in mind.

I chose Kaltag as his lover for three reasons. One, the two are of them are actually pretty handsome for cartoon characters (kind of like how I'm not usually a cat person, but even I have to agree that T-Bone and Razor were impossibly sexy in their g-suits, masks, and bandannas. "_**SWAT Kats**_" forever baby!). Two, they're a cute pairing (Steele is always worried about people turning him soft, but Kaltag makes him realize he's already soft). And three, I loved the idea of Steele having an affair with his second-in-command and Kaltag having an unrequited love for him because it. Which then leads to him getting rejected so badly that he gives up on Steele entirely and hates his guts (like he does in the movie), until Kodi brings Steele's better side again, rekindling the old spark they used to have together.

I pitched the idea to Kodiwolf321, and he was okay with it, since it fit into the general narrative of the story. And that's how one of the first Kaltag/Steele pairings on this site came to be.


	14. Chapter 14

_**Chapter 14: The Things Worth Fighting For.**_

_September 19, 1929._

"Well, I guess we'll see you in a week or so", Kodi said, as he glanced back at his musher. The man was currently loading up the last of the supplies in his sled, and any minute now Mr. Simpson would be ready to attach his dogs to their harnesses.

Two days had now passed since the town inn collapsed, and while John had already been discharged, the doctors insisted that Connor and Roger stay in the hospital for a little while longer, since they were the ones who had almost died of hypothermia. The result was that Kodi and his friends were now heading back to their families in Nome, and Roger's team would be joining them in a few days. Gunnar Kaasen would certainly be excited to see his old friend and his old dog again, and Kodi knew that Kaltag would be thrilled to know things really _had_ worked out in the end, just like he said he would.

While Steele was in the hospital, staying by Roger's side like he had for the past few days, the rest of his team had stopped by to say good-bye to Kodi and his friends, for now anyway. Kodi and Dusty had already bid Jake, Ron, and Hal farewell (Kodi made sure to thank Jake for starting him on the path to becoming a sled dog all those years ago), and now there were only two dogs left, Blake and Griff. The couple were now fully recovered from their harrowing ordeal, and instead of suffering some form of post-traumatic stress, the two were closer than ever. After all, nothing helps you fight back bad memories better than a lover's embrace.

"Take care of yourselves", Dusty said, before hugging her fellow survivor, Blake.

"I told you he would come. He'll always come as long as you believe he will. You just have to remember that some things are worth fighting for", Blake said, smiling as he accepted the female's embrace.

"Our guys will never let us down", Dusty chuckled, remembering every word Blake had told her that night.

Meanwhile, Kodi was busying talking to Griff, a dog he had kinda disliked a first, but now felt he owed a huge debt of gratitude to. "Griff, thanks for helping me keep my cool. I don't know what would have happened if someone hadn't kept me from losing it", Kodi said, shaking Griff's paw.

"Oh, you would have probably gotten yourself and everyone else killed", Blake said bluntly, causing Kodi's smile to fade for a few seconds, before the husky laughed to let his younger friend know it had been meant as a joke. After his laughter had died down, the older sled dog did have a question for the hybrid. "So, there's no hard feelings about me roughing you up a few times?", Griff asked. Though the husky had tried to sound nonchalant, Kodi could still hear the anxiousness in his voice, and guessed that the sled dog still felt guilty about losing his cool too and lashing out at the half-breed while both their lovers were in danger. After all, he had spent the last three years trying not to be a brute, and just when he thought he had made loads of progress, turns out his anger management still needed some work.

"None at all. These things happen", Kodi said, smiling widely to let Griff know he meant what he said. And then Kodi, since he had already let them know on several occasions that he had no problem hugging another man, decided to give the dog a brotherly hug as his own way of saying good-bye.

Griff laughed, as Kodi hugged him around the waist. Steele wasn't kidding when he said Kodi had no sense of personal boundaries. Still, Griff didn't minded be hugged by another dude, not anymore anyway. A thousand cold nights spent cuddling up with his lover had gotten him used to that years ago.

Kodi winced as Griff returned his embrace. The husky had thrown his arms around him knocked the wind out of Kodi, before he quickly loosened up on his grip and allowed the youngster a chance to breath again. Even after all this time, Griff still had trouble controlling his strength. Either that or Blake was just a lot more used to bear hugs than Kodi was. After all, Griff had had plenty of time to break him in.

"You two take care of yourselves", Kodi said, looking over Griff's shoulder at Blake.

"Right back at you kid. You and Dusty make sure you watch out for that baby of yours. He's a born survivor, just like his old man", Griff replied, before patting the half-breed on the back and letting him go.

This time it was Kodi's turn to laugh, when he realized that in no time at all, he was not only gonna be a father, but his son's 'old man'. He had been called a kid for so long, the half-wolf had no idea how he was gonna get used to that. But maybe that was just another part of becoming a parent.

Kodi and Dusty stepped back, and allowed the rest of their team to say their good-byes to Steele's team. Kodi turned back to his wife, and whispered discreetly into her ear. "I still feel like I should do something special for them when they get to Nome. Something to thank them for the way they helped us", Kodi said.

"I know what you mean, and maybe there is", Dusty replied, before whispering something so brilliant and audacious into her husband's ear that he couldn't help the grin that spread across his face.

"Dust, you're a genius", he said, before kissing her on the forehead.

Behind them, Kirby and Ralph awkwardly approached Blake and Griff, much to the couple's amusement. "Hey, we'd like to thank you guys for the way you helped our buddy out and all. You didn't have to do that", Ralph said, gratefully, and a bit sheepishly.

"Yeah. I might not get why a guy would want to be with another guy when they can be with girls but…after what you two did for our team, you're all right with me", Kirby said, before extending his paw towards Blake and Griff.

Blake shook it of course, thankful that their friend's friends were just as accepting of them, while Griff did something that took them all by surprise. He shook Ralph's paw just like Blake had, but when it was Kirby's turn to shake his hand, the husky grabbed his paw, and pulled his forward.

Kodi, Dusty, Ralph, Blake, Ron, Hal, and Jake all watched in shock, as Kirby's face went flying, and landed smack dab in the middle Griff's chest. Before Kirby even knew what was happening, Griff's arms were suddenly around him, patting him on the back in a congratulatory fashion. "You're not too bad yourself", the husky chuckled, before moving his arms back to his side again, releasing the younger dog.

As quickly as the short hug had began, it was all over, and Kirby (who for one terrifying second was afraid he was about to raped or kissed on the lips or something), had been left completely unharmed by the bigger dog (not that Griff had ever had intentions of hurting him or molesting him in the first place, but that still didn't stop Blake from punching in the shoulder for teasing someone who was already clearly uncomfortable). But even after Griff had left go of him, the stunned Kirby was still just there standing there frozen in place, staring right at Blake and Griff like he even couldn't comprehend what had just happened.

Griff smirked, and placed his paw on Kirby's shoulder. "Relax, I wasn't hitting on you or anything, it was just a thank you for you thanking us. If hugging another man made you gay, you and your buddy Ralph over there would be more than just friends", the husky joked, getting a good laugh of Ralph (who had instantly relaxed once he saw his teammate wasn't in any kind of danger), while Kirby managed to crack a nervous smile.

"You…you've got a real sick sense of humor, you know that?", the husky said lightly, watching the larger dog's grin increase as he shook his head in reply.

"Sorry about that. I didn't scare you too bad, did I?", Griff asked, real concern leaking into the husky's tone now, not regret, just concern.

"No", Kirby said, causing both Blake and Griff to raise their eyebrows. "It's just, a big guy like you coming at me like that was a bit unexpected", Kirby said, quickly thinking of an excuse as he finally noticed all his friends were looking at him.

"If it's any consolation, it was a bit of shock the first time he did it to me too", Blake said,

"I'm sure it was. Well, you two have lots of fun with all your hugging stuff, and I guess we'll see you in a few days", Kirby said, rubbing the back of his neck as he not-so-subtly changed the subject.

"See you around kid", Griff replied.

"Take care", Blake added.

Kirby nodded his head one last time, and turned around to rejoin his friends, who by now all had the same look of amusement on their face as Blake and Griff. On the way back, Kirby shook his head for a few moments, as if he was struggling to understand what exactly had transpired in the past two minutes, while ignoring the Cheshire cat-like grin that was still on Griff's face.

Of course, when he made it back to his own little clique, Ralph was the first one to greet him. "Jeez Kirby, when he grabbed you I thought you were gonna have a heart attack or something. You were just standing there like you couldn't move", Ralph said. When his friend didn't reply, keeping quiet as he walked, Ralph kept on talking, his grin growing as big as Griff's as a funny thought popped into his head. "He's got a boyfriend you know. What did you think he was gonna do, lay one on you? Nah, Griff wouldn't do something like that. He wouldn't try to get in the way of what you and I have", Ralph said teasingly, as he walked alongside his friend towards John's sled.

"Shut up", Kirby grumbled. Though the grin on Ralph's face remained, the smaller samoyed obliged, and raised his paw to his face so he could pretend to zip his lips shut, just to annoy his friend some more. And that was the last either dog spoke on the subject again.

As they watched their friends leave, Blake turned towards his larger boyfriend. Even though he still didn't approve of what Griff had just done, he wasn't able to stop himself from laughing a little. "Was I that scared the first time you hugged me?", the smaller dog asked.

"Are you kidding me? You were twice worse. Your fur would have been drenched with sweat if you could sweat", Griff chortled. However, Blake knew his boyfriend too well now to be offended by his jokes like most would, so he only leaned up and kissed him on the cheek in reply. A small token of affection that was quickly reciprocated by his lover.

Kodi and his team returned to their respective positions in front of the sled just in time, as John had just arrived with their harnesses. Pretty soon, all the dogs on Kodi's team were strapped together again, and ready to set out for Nome. After being stuck in White Mountain for days, they were finally gonna get to go home. And the first thing Kodi wanted to do what he got back was find his parents and tell them all about Roger's decision. Not to mention meeting up with Bane again, and finally reuniting with his long-lost sister. But most of all, Kodi just wanted to get home so he and his wife could feel safe and secure again, something they hadn't been for days now. Those were the main things on Kodi's mind as John tugged on their reins and signaled the dogs to start moving. With some new motivation, it didn't take long for them to start picking up speed as they dashed down the street.

However, just as Kodi and his teammates really started to build up velocity, the lead dog turned around and saw something he never thought he'd see. Standing on the other side of the street was a familiar black and white malamute, watching them leave town from a distance. The last time Kodi checked, he was supposed to be in the hospital with Roger. What's more, he actually had his raised his paw in the air (though he seemed kind of embarrassed doing so), as Kodi neared where he was standing. It didn't take a genius to put two and two together. Steele had left Roger's side for a few short minutes so he could say good-bye to Kodi and his team before he left town. He actually grown to care enough about the hybrid to bid him farewell.

Normally, Kodi would have been touched by Steele's uncharacteristically kind gesture, but for once he didn't have time to be emotional, and he certainly couldn't wave in return without tripping up the entire team. So he did the next best thing. He barked in Steele's direction as the team passed him by, before turning his attention back towards the road.

To any humans in the area, Kodi's bark was insignificant. It was just another mutt getting all hyper and running his trap. But Steele knew what Kodi had meant. It was a greeting dogs had shared with each other for thousands of years. Though not in these exact words (canine lingo had changed over the years, just like human slang), the general gist of what the half-breed had told him was '_until next time my friend, and have a good life_'.

The malamute grumbled something about how Kodi wasn't his friend (even though there was no one else around to hear him), before letting his lips rise ever-so-slightly around the edges. "You have a good life too kid", he murmured, as Kodi's team disappeared down the street, and vanished into the forest.

**((()-()))**

_September 22, 1929._

Three days later, a wolf pack trotted anxiously across a completely different forest, following a scent that their leader claimed she recognized. Eventually, she requested that they stop where they stood, so she could continue on alone.

"Are you sure about this?", one of the wild dogs asked her, concerned.

The light brown female nodded in reply, and smiled at her pack to let them know she knew what was she was doing, before walking ahead of them. The alpha female had to admit, even she was wondering if she was insane at that moment. She had stopped their daily hunting party so she could follow a scent that could belong anyone, any animal in the world, and the chances it being her father was one in a million, especially since the wolf-dog had no idea where her and new pack had settled down. But while her common sense was telling her she was wrong, her heart was telling her to keep going, and if there was even a chance it was her dad, she wanted to meet him half way. After all, there was no greater tracker in Alaska than her papa, Balto.

After walking for what seemed like an hour, she felt like giving up, but again, her heart wouldn't let her. Just because she hadn't seen anyone yet didn't mean there was no hope. Balto's scent still covered the ground beneath, and it seemed to grow stronger and stronger the longer she followed it, she was getting close to the source.

And just when she had her nose down to grown, not paying the slightest bit of attention to what was ahead of her, she heard something that made her head snap up faster than you could blink. Standing right in front of her was a whole wolf pack, strangers that she had never seen before in her life. She didn't know who they were, or if they had any territory nearby, but she really didn't care about them. All her attention was focused on the three town dogs that were standing next to what she presumed to be the pack alpha, especially brownish-gray wolf-dog who was slowly inching towards her, a look of disbelief on his face that mirrored her own.

"Aleu?", he asked slowly.

"Papa", the hybrid's daughter whispered back. By this point, Aleu's muscles had all locked up, since the young alpha had no idea what to do next. It wasn't like a wolf to freeze up when approached by individuals who weren't members of it's pack, but it was exactly the kind of thing a daughter would do when approached by a father she never thought she'd see again.

This time, it was the second dog's turn to speak. Her red fur couldn't help but stand out in the snow covered forest, but Aleu didn't need the clashing colors of the woman's unique fur coat to recognize her own mother. "Aleu", Jenna said, tears flowing down her face as she approached her long-lost daughter.

Before Aleu knew it, her father and mother had reached her side, and threw their arms around her, holding the young woman close to them just like they used to do when she was a pup. And that was all it took for Aleu's state of shock to be broken. She wasn't daydreaming or hallucinating. Her family were real, and they were here with her now. It had taken them years, but they had finally found their little girl again.

"Mama", Aleu sobbed, as she finally accepted her mother's embrace.

Out of the corner of her eye, Aleu noticed the third dog approaching them, a young man who she hadn't seen since she was a puppy. Kodiak, the annoying, stickler-for-the-rules brother she had had fun teasing and riling up during their first months of life. He had grew so much since the day he was adopted. And so had she.

"Sis", Kodi said, before joining his father and mother in the group hug.

There were so many things she wanted to say to them, but the only thing she managed to get out was her most pressing question. "How can you all be here?", she asked breathlessly.

"A friend did us a favor", Balto replied, before glancing back at Bane, and mouthing the words 'thank you' to the wolf. His friend nodded back, and rejoined his mate as the wolf pack watched them from a distance. An old debt had just been repaid, and a family reunited. Just as Bane had promised.

**((()-()))**

_September 24, 1929._

Another two days later, John Simpson smiled, as the eskimo read the front page headline in Nome's weekly paper. "Hey Gunnar, get a load of this", the musher said, tapping his older friend on the shoulder.

Gunnar Kaasen raised his eyebrow, but accepted the paper from his younger friend so he could find out what the big deal was. He only needed to read a few sentences of the main article to guess what John was excited about. "The inn in White Mountain's been condemned. Connor Birk, that's that hotel manager you met in White Mountain, isn't it?", he asked his friend curiously.

"Yes, but the man wasn't just the hotel's manager, he was it's owner. It had been owned by his family for decades. He knew the place was falling apart so he had insured. Since it's over a century year old, the sum of money he got from the insurance company is _huge_. Thousands of dollars. They guy's practically rich now. He's planning on tearing down the old inn and building a new one", John said happily.

"Good for him. Glad to know something good came out of last week's insanity", Gunnar replied, handing the inuit back his paper.

The two men were standing outside Nome's general, waiting for the third member of their group to arrive with his sled team. Roger had finally been allowed to check out of White Mountain's hospital the day before, and sent out a telegram before he left, telling his friends about his departure so they could greet him when he got to Nome. But since they had no idea of knowing exactly when he would get there, so there was a good chance they would be spend hours standing on Front Street waiting for him. Luckily, both men's careers had taught them patience over the years so they mind waiting. Their dogs however weren't so lucky.

Unnoticed by all the humans, Kaltag paced back and forth across the general store's porch, much to the amusement of his friends. Balto and Jenna (their spirits now lifted by their recent reunion with their daughter) grinned, but didn't say anything as they watched their friend brood.

"Geez Kal, give it a rest before you wear a big hole in the floor. I never thought I'd see you so excited to see Steele again", Star complained, after growing tired of seeing his bigger friend do the same thing over and over again. A few years ago, the smallish husky would have never even dreamed of calling out Kaltag like that about his bad habits, but the years had been good to Star, and after the serum run the underdog had gotten a whole lot braver.

Nikki, who was standing next to him, leaned over and whispered into Star's ear. "I never thought I'd see _anyone_ excited to see Steele", Nikki chuckled.

While their comments had not gone unnoticed by Kaltag, the husky just grumbled to himself and complied nonetheless, plopping down in the snow and thinking quietly to himself. Normally he would have argued right back with Nikki and Star, but Kaltag wasn't going to let himself get worked up today. Besides, he was lucky his friends were even still his friends.

When Kodi returned to Nome five days earlier and told Kaltag about Roger's decision, Nikki and Star had asked him why he was so eager to be around his old boss again (new personality or not). At first Kaltag had thought of lying to them again, but eventually decided that they deserved to know the truth. Nikki and Star had been stunned of course (like Steele said, no one would ever suspect Kaltag of being a sodomite because he seemed far too manly for that kind of thing). But surprisingly it wasn't the fact he liked men that they couldn't understand ('what a man does in the privacy of his snow bed is his own business' Nikki had said dismissively), it was the fact he loved Steele. The idea of anyone, besides Dixie, spending years of their life pining over the former glory hound was just something they couldn't wrap their minds around.

They of course had asked him the most awkward question, if he and Steele had even been together, a question that Kaltag skirted over as quickly as he could. Eventually though, Nikki patted him on the back, and said that Kaltag was still his friend even if he had a crazy taste in men. Star's response had been pretty much the same. Balto and Jenna of course didn't mind, since they had suspected for years, and Kodi was the one who had persuaded him to come clean in the first place. Kaltag's relationship with his friends was changed forever after that, but it was actually a change for the better. He didn't have to worry about concealing parts of his past from his closest comrades anymore, and the show nothing between them was different, Nikki and Star (along with Balto, Jenna, Kodi, and his team) had volunteered to keep Kaltag company while he awaited Steele's arrival.

Kodi didn't even notice Kaltag's bad mood, since he was too business listening to the noises in his wife's rapidly-expanding stomach. "Whoa, it's only been less than a week and the bumping's already getting louder", the wolf-dog exclaimed.

"I told you, she's growing up fast. The doctor said my due date has been sped up by at least a month", Dusty replied.

"Thought of a name yet?", Kirby asked curiously.

"Victoria", Dusty replied.

"Victoria?", Ralph asked surprisingly.

"Yeah, Victoria. What's wrong with it?", Kodi asked, annoyed.

"It's just, it's kind of a boring name. It's simple and not very original", Kirby replied.

"Yeah, it doesn't really stand out", Ralph added lazily, as the samoyed laid down next to his friends.

"Oh, and I suppose 'Ralph' does?", Dusty asked sarcastically.

"Hey, I can't help it if my parents gave me an uninteresting name. Why do you think I'm such an underachiever? From the moment I found out my name was Ralph, I decided that I wasn't going to bother doing anything with my life. And that's just what your little girl is gonna do if you name her Victoria", Ralph joked, completely unfazed by his friend's comeback.

"Well Dusty and I think Victoria is a great name. We've been working on it for days now", Kodi replied, trying not to be offended by the fact his friends shot the name him and his wife had spent almost a week working on after only a few seconds.

Before Ralph and Kirby could make another joke, their musher suddenly spoke up, taking all the dogs on the porch by surprise. "They're coming!", John said, shaking Gunnar's shoulder to get the older musher's attention. Sure enough a familiar dog sled team was just appearing at the end of the street, lead by an more familiar man, Roger Greensborough. After traveling for years, Roger's homecoming had finally come.

Roger's dogs couldn't have ran away faster once they owner unhooked them, to the man's amusement. However, he hardly paid his canines any attention for long. As soon as he looked up, he became far too preoccupied looking at the man who was approaching him. Gunnar Kaasen. The best friend he hadn't seen in years. "Gunnar, you haven't changed at all", Roger chuckled, shaking the man's hand almost immediately.

"Are you kidding? All this gray hair came in as soon as you left. My hair's been getting old in patches for years", Gunnar laughed, taking off his musher's cap and rubbing his other hand through his hair.

"And I see this place hasn't changed that much either", Roger noted, lifting his head up to examine all the familiar faces and buildings that surrounded him. Front Street looked almost identical to the Front Street he had last seen two years ago.

"What did you expect? This is Nome, Alaska, not New York, New York. Progress comes slow here", Gunnar joked, the musher's good mood improving tenfold as he realized the town wasn't the only thing that had remained unchanged over the years. The Roger Greensborough he had just shook hands with was a carbon copy of the man he had trained with in his youth.

"Oh trust me, you couldn't pay me enough to go there. The whole country is going through some kind of crisis right now, and New York is the center of it all", Roger informed him, recounting all the news of the Great Depression that the world seemed to be panicking over at the time. Roger would have chalked it up as just a myth, or just something the press had come up with to sell papers if he hadn't seen the effect on the economy himself firsthand, while working as mailman for the past two years. "In fact, things here in Alaska haven't being going that great either. There are less jobs, less stuff being imported and exported, and hotels seem to be falling down left and right. I'd say it's about time me and my team return home and hang it up while we're still in our prime", Roger stated.

"Well, John told me about what happened last week. How you've kept your promise to me all these years and looked after Steele, and I just want to say thank you. And just for the record, I knew I had made the right decision when I handed his reins to you Roger. If I had any doubts about you, I would never have let Steele leave. But I never thought for a second that you'd let me down, and you didn't. You and I have been friends for two decades now, so don't going selling yourself again, you hear?", Gunnar requested, satisfied only when Roger nodded his head in agreement. With that clear up, the two friends patted each other on the back, and walked off to go find Steele. It was time the malamute got to reunite with his old owner.

"Steele!", Roger shouted, before whistling for the dog to join him. Steele ran up to the pair, and to their surprise, Kaltag was not far behind (humans were so blissfully ignorant to the world of canine love), while the rest of Kaltag's friends just watched with smiles on their faces. Jenna especially.

For years Steele had chased after her, tormented her, and tormented her boyfriend. But a small part of her always sort of felt sorry for him. Even then, she had guessed he wasn't an entirely selfish dog and wished someday he would get over and find a mate of his own. Now, after years of life and love screwing them over, everything was the way it should be.

"Look at him over there. Who'd thought Steele had our Kal wrapped his paws liked that", Nikki snorted, as he watched how closely Kaltag stood next to Steele as Gunnar reached down and rubbed the dog's head. "Still, if Kaltag is into creepy guys like that, I guess that's just him", the chow-chow admitted.

"And is better than seeing him so miserable all the time", Kodi added, him and his wife walking up to the chow-chow's side.

Meanwhile, Gunnar went beyond patting his old dog on the head, and leaned down so he could whisper into the malamute's ears. "Steele, Roger told me about what you did for him and the others in the hotel. A lot of the guys don't believe it, but I know it's true. I've always known you had it in you. Balto may be the dog who saved Nome, but you'll always be the dog who saved my best friend. And in my book, that makes you a hero", the musher congratulated, and for a small fraction of a second, he could have sworn that Steele's usual stoic face melted into what looked like a smile.

"I know you have a lot of catching up to do. Bones to chew, people to sniff, old dogs to see, whatever you dogs do when us people aren't around, so I'll leave you two to it", Gunnar said, glancing at Kaltag (who was still standing right by Steele's side), before standing up again. "Come on, let's go get a nice warm brew at my house", Gunnar said, patting both John and Roger on the shoulder before walking off in the direction of his home. They all had loads of stuff to do and plenty of stories to tell, Steele and Kaltag included.

"Come on fearless leader, let's go _talk_ somewhere in private", Kaltag said, laughing as nuzzled Steele on the cheek. The malamute didn't need a second hint. The black and white canine, for the second time that day, smiled ever-so-slightly, before walking off with the tan husky in the direction of the Old Mill.

But before he walked inside, he looked back in the direction of his friends (old and new) one last time. They all looked perfectly content where they were standing, enjoying the truce they had made with the malamute and the peace and quiet that came with it.

Balto and his family were all smiling encouragingly at him, including Jenna, the woman who had been the subject of his affections for so long. Now she was just a friend to him, and that was all he really wanted her to be. Steele nodded at her, and nodded to Balto (not even frowning at the wolf-dog this time), before he opened the door to the Old Mill and followed his partner inside.

**((()-()))**

"Kaltag, I've already told you twice now to stop it", Steele grumbled, as the husky's large arm started pressing down on his back.

"And I already told you twice I sure as hell won't stop. I've waited my whole life for this moment. I've ran alongside you on all your crazy sled runs, and put up with all your crap for years, so you could at least try to return the favor and let me enjoy this…_alpha_", Kaltag teased.

Steele growled under his breath, but when he saw Kaltag wasn't going to budge on the matter, he sighed and relax under the husky's arm. The two were currently lying side-by-side on their stomachs in the Old Mill, with Kaltag's arm draped over Steele's back protectively. Apparently, holding each other was something men did when they slept with each other, but since neither of them were humans, they just had to improvise. Normally, Steele wouldn't have been normally this compliant, but Kaltag did have a point. The malamute had put him through hell for years, so the least he could do was indulge his traditional ways, at least just this once.

It had been hours since Steele returned to Nome, and surprisingly, all the licking and nuzzling between lovers hadn't turned into full blown sex as usual. Instead, they had just sat in the Old Mill, talking about old times and where they were going to go now. They had agreed their relationship wouldn't be all that different than it was before. For the most part, they would be just two regular dudes, who happened to have a thing for each other. And since they both had reputations in Nome (though Steele's was a bit worse for the wear), they weren't gonna do anything soft or mushy like all that hugging stuff Blake and Griff were into. But now, only an hour or two after making that promise to his boyfriend, Kaltag seemed to be breaking it.

"_At least the Old Mill's empty tonight_", Steele noted, sighing in relief.

But as much as Steele pretended to be annoyed by his boyfriend's teasing, and the clingy arm that kept his side pressed against Kaltag's, the husky knew Steele was enjoying every minute of this just as much as he was. After all, like John said, Steele was just a dog, no matter how cold or heartless he claimed to be. And no dog could resist the warm and fuzzy feeling of being loved.

**((()-()))**

"Now remember what I told you two, keep those eyes closed", Kodi requested.

"Alright, alright. I just don't know what's so special about this place you're taking us to. It's underneath a hospital, it's not like it's gonna be Niagara Falls or something", Griff complained, as the husky clenched his eyes shut and followed Kodi' voice, being careful to place his foot down gently as he did so. And behind him, he knew his boyfriend was doing the same.

Kodi and Dusty had appeared at the front door of Gunnar's house (the place where Roger and his team were staying until they could find a home in town), and pulled Blake and Griff out of their beds in the middle of the night so they could show them some 'surprise' they had had planned for them since they left White Mountain. But like Griff said, anything that was hidden inside a small, dusty corridor underneath a hospital couldn't be that great, and surely not worth waking someone up for.

Just when it seemed like Blake and Griff would be walking blindly forever, Kodi and Dusty put their paws out to stop them in their tracks, a sign that their short journey had come to an end. "Alright, you can open them now. We're here", Dusty said.

Blake and Griff, relieved, wrenched their eyes open, but were surprised to find that the only thing the darkness concealed was a few old bottles of tonic, broken beyond repair with dangerously sharp shards of glass scattered across the floor.

"Glass? You dragged us all the way out of bed to look at broken glass?", Blake asked in disbelief.

"Please tell me this is some kind of joke Kodster, cause otherwise you are one weird wolf-dog", Griff said, frowning at the hybrid and his wife who both had wide grins on their faces for some reason.

"That's because you're only the looking at the glass half-empty", Kodi said, chuckling to himself as if those words had some sort of hidden significance that only he and Dusty knew about.

Blake and his boyfriend watched in confusion, and annoyance, as Kodi and Dusty started to carefully sweep up the glass with their paws, and move it towards a beam of light that was coming in from the room above them.

Right before he moved the pieces into place, Kodi glanced at the pair standing next to him, so he could see the look on their faces when he did what he was about do next. "Let there be light", the boy said, right before the corridor lit up with multi-colored light.

A rainbow of colors surrounded the four canines, and all Blake and Griff could do was hang their mouths open in shock as they tried to take in the spectacle. "How?", the shorter dog stuttered.

"You've created the Northern Lights, underneath this place", the larger dog asked.

"It's an optical illusion, a little family trick that's been passed down from generation to generation. This is the place my dad took my mom on their first date, well, it wasn't really a date, but it was close enough", Kodi explained.

"And it's where Kodi took me the night he proposed", Dusty added.

"This was all her idea by the way. We figured you two deserved something greater than our thanks for the way you both helped us out. And since we can't really give you anything, we gave you two a night together under the Aurora Borealis", Kodi said, grinning in amusement as Griff and Blake's eyes followed the trail of colors that lined the walls around them.

"Which is pretty darn romantic if you ask me", Dusty proclaimed.

"Wait…so basically you're setting us up on a date?", Griff asked, surprised. But by the time he had managed to take his eyes off the lights to look at Kodi again, the boy and his wife had disappeared. They had only taken their eyes off them for a few seconds, but the canine pair were already on the other end of the tunnel.

"Yep, have fun you two", Kodi teased, before opening the tunnel door with his paw and walking back into the darkened street.

"Oh, and don't worry about falling asleep under here. The hospital has a furnace that keeps this place pretty toasty all night long", Dusty said, before following her husband and disappearing into the night. Once they left, Kodi and Dusty closed the door behind them, leaving Blake and Griff alone in the hospital's crawl-space. And the first thing they did with their endless amount of alone-time was burst out laughing.

"Who said wolf-dogs don't have a romantic bone in their body?", Blake chortled, as he relaxed on the floor, sinking into his boyfriend's side.

"I've gotta admit, that kid's got moves, just like his old man. No wonder his family's so lucky in love", Griff said.

So many couples in Kodi's family had shared special nights together in that most unlikely of lover's lanes, and the husky and his mate had been kind enough to clue them in on his family's get-away so they too could spend the night in each other's company, gazing contently at the Aurora Borealis until the sun rose the next morning.

They understood why Balto loved this place so much in his youth, and still did now. This was the sort of place you went to when you wanted to get away for the night. The kind of place you wouldn't mind staying at forever, just for the peace and serenity it offered. The place that was always waiting for you after a hard day's struggle.

This beautiful phenomenon was more than just an example of nature's splendor, it was one of the rare things in life that was truly worth fighting for. God knows Blake, Griff, Steele, Kaltag, Balto, Jenna, Roger, and Gunnar had all done their fair share of fighting in their lifetimes, and now it was time for the old friends and enemies to enjoy their reward. And the greatest reward of all was still to come for the latest generation. It was time for Kodi and Dusty to experience the gift of life.

_**Author's Notes:**_

Ah Kirby, bless his awkward little heart. Kirby's actually a pretty nice guy, a bit full of himself, but definitely a good friend. That scene in the beginning with Griff teasing Kirby was fun, and something that wasn't scripted in the beginning, I only just thought of it while I was writing it. Like I said, Kirby's a good friend. And even though he's never wanted to know what it means to be gay (made obvious by the fact he thinks being gay is like catching the flu, you can come down with it too if you're exposed long enough), he's willing to make an effort to be friendly since Blake and Griff had helped his buddies out. And his nervousness is the reason why he freaks out when Griff hugs him good-bye. Still, Kirby holds no hard feelings towards the dog, and actually seems him and Blake more as regular guys than 'the gay guy and his boyfriend' now that he knows they have a sense of humor.

Throughout most of this fic, the characters' opinions on homosexuality have been mostly blasé. When I decided to include gay characters in this story, I made the decision that homophobia would be mentioned (as a way of keeping Kaltag's crush on Steele under wraps), but wouldn't play that much of a role in this story. In this entire story, the only character who's ever considered homosexuality to be wrong or a sin is Griff, who of course turns out to be a gay man himself. The reason that issue isn't addressed here, and the characters are so open-minded is because the whole thing would have just been distracting to the plot of the story. After all, the point of this story was about moving on from the past and creating a better future for yourself, not whether or not being gay is wrong (trust me, you never want to start talking about religion in a fanfic unless you just have to). And the last thing you're thinking about when you're crushed under a hotel is whether the guy next you is a bit…you know.

Like I mentioned on my profile, homosexuality has been part of a life since life began (hence all the stories about gay cowboys), But while some people being attracted to members of the same sex is just a natural part of human nature, it wasn't always seen that way. People still consider it to be wrong today, and in the 1920s a man being with another man would have been an enormous deal, so the dogs of Nome wouldn't have been nearly as accepting of Blake & Griff and Steele & Kaltag's relationships as they are here (most likely they'd be targeted by the community and viciously attacked by their peers). But like I said, getting into the whole 'your soul will burn in hell' thing would have just been distracting from the main plot. Homophobia is used as a plot device in chapter 2, as a way of getting Blake and Griff together, and keeping Kaltag in the closet, but after that it has no real significance in this story.

Griff, Kaltag, and Steele do say stuff like 'fag', 'faggot', and 'queer' a lot in this fic, but that's mostly because sled dogs have an uncensored vocabulary (like I explained in chapter 5). A lot of these guys don't actually think being gay is wrong anymore (we know Steele doesn't, otherwise he wouldn't have hooked up with his right-hand man), but say stuff like 'fag' and 'queer' anyway because that was what they were raised to say as kids (unlike Kodi and his team). And as for the open-mindedness of Kodi and his friends, I actually came up with some explanations as to why they're so nonchalant about Blake and Griff being a couple, but I'll delve into that in the acknowledgments/afterthoughts section coming up.

On other notes, this story is finally wrapping itself up quite nicely. Everyone's getting the closure they need, they're all moving on from the things that held them back before, and they're finally at peace long enough to enjoy the company of the ones they love. Balto can spend the rest of his days with Jenna without worrying about Steele coming back to stir up trouble (he can also relax knowing his daughter is living up to her full potential in the wild, bringing her people salvation just like he did in the serum run). Kodi and Dusty can have that baby they've been talking about since chapter 3. Steele and Kaltag both of them claim that even though they're gay, there won't be any of that soft, gooey crap, like the stuff Blake and Griff love so much, in their relationship. But we all know that's not true. Kaltag loves having Steele in his arms, and Steele knows he likes it too (not that they'll ever admit it).

Connor's got a brand new business, that won't fall on his head at any given moment now, so he won't have to live in fear anymore. Gunnar and Roger, after years of service to their country (running back and forth all over Alaska for decades), can finally retire knowing that they both did good jobs in raising their dogs, and that the future generation is in good hands. As for Blake and Griff, well they can just sit back and enjoy the lights show for the rest of the evening. There's no both better way to spend the night than watching the northern lights (I'm grinning right now remembering all those good times Jenna had with Balto in "_**Salvation, Part 1**_". "_**Rose's Theme**_" by Murray Gold was just so beautiful). All these wonderful things I just listed, these are just some things in life that are worth fighting for.


	15. Chapter 15

_**Chapter 15: The Circle of Life.**_

_November 12, 1929._

Dusty growled, and dug her paws into the veterinarian's carpet in a desperate attempt to distract herself from her current situation. It was funny. Whenever people talked about the miracle of childbirth, they always left out the part about the excruciating pain. And Dusty kind of would have liked to have known about that part ahead of time, so she could at least prepare herself mentally for the agony of birthing a child. The only comfort she felt right now was the knowing that soon a brand new baby would be born into the world, _her_ baby. Not to mention the husband of hers that had been standing by her side the whole time, despite being thoroughly creeped out by what he was seeing.

"You're doing good Dust. Just keep pushing", Kodi told her, before squeezing her paw. With half a dozen other humans standing around her, waiting for the big moment to come, Dusty couldn't afford to get distracted and make a mistake, and her Kodiak was there to make sure she didn't.

"I am pushing!", Dusty growled, snapping her jaws at her husband, and causing Kodi to take a step back cautiously. As soon as she saw the surprised look on the hybrid's face, Dusty's expression softened, and she lowered her head guiltily. "Sorry Kodi, I didn't mean to snap at you like that", she mumbled.

"Don't worry, the doc said that mood swings during childbirth is normal, even for animals. Heck, if I had a baby fighting it's way out of my stomach, I'd be snapping at people left and right too", Kodi said reassuringly.

Kodi had followed his father's advice, and made sure he was there to support her once she went into labor. Kodi had been extra cautious for the past two months not to leave Dusty alone, since the doctors had informed John that her due date had been pushed up. And they were right. Instead of having a winter child, it seemed their baby girl would become a part of their lives right before Thanksgiving. And as soon as Dusty's water broke that morning, her husband had rushed her to vet's office and barked at the door non-stop until he gained the humans' attention.

"Don't worry, you're doing great Dusty. You too Kodi", Jenna said, smiling at her son before turning her attention back to Dusty. Not long after Dusty went into labor, word of her condition had spread throughout Nome's canine population, and only half an hour later Kodi's family and friends had arrived at the vet's office. Since the vets had all been in such a hurry to tend to Dusty, they had left the door unlocked, allowing any dog in town to just slip in, including Kodiak's rust-and-cream colored mother. But she was the only one of Kodi's family who had came inside.

Since the rest of Kodi's friends and family were all men, Jenna had ordered them to stay outside (including her husband). She knew from experience that was it already hard to concentrate when a bunch of humans were all staring at you at your most vulnerable moment, let alone a bunch of guys. And the only reason Kodi was permitted to stay was because he was Dusty's mate, and it was his job to support her in her time of need. Everyone else (Balto, Nikki, Kaltag, Star, Ralph, Kirby, Blake, Griff, Jake, Ron, Hal, and yes, even Steele) was still waiting anxiously outside. Even Boris the goose had come along, while Muk and Luk were forced to stay behind at the trawler, much to Boris' delight. For obvious reasons, two polar bears couldn't just march into town without causing a panic.

**((()-()))**

Standing on the sidewalk outside, Steele and his mate leaned against the vet's wooden door, while Balto paced nervously back and forth. The malamute, who was usually stone cold when it came to any kind of emotion, felt the tiniest bit of sympathy for his old rival as he saw how anxious and restless the wolf-dog was. After all, it must suck being the only one of your family left out while your wife, your son, and your daughter-in-law are put through such a grueling experience.

As much as Steele hated to admit it, the malamute was there for the same reason his mate Kaltag was. Steele actually considered Kodi to be a friend of his now, believe it or not, and today Kodi's mate was in the middle of giving birth. There was a dozen different things that could go wrong, and Steele wanted to be there to help the couple if something did. But right now, he was more worried about Balto giving himself a heart attack than anything that was going on outside the building (what was the world coming to? He actually cared about what happened to the wolf-dog these days).

"Calm down boychic, Kodi and Dusty will be fine", Boris said, placing his wing on son's shoulder reassuringly. Balto was about to argue with his father about how inexperienced his children were, when both animals glanced to side to look at Steele, as the malamute had just decided to put his two cents in.

"The goose is right Balto, Kodi knows what he's doing. If the kid can keep a level head in a storm, he should be able to handle watching over his wife", Steele added, though there was real sincerity to his tone this time instead of it's usual sarcastic nature.

"Yeah, you gotta give the kid credit Balto. He's had half a year to prepare for this", Kaltag reminded him.

Balto opened his mouth to say something, when Steele raised his eyebrow, challenging the hybrid to find a hole in their logic. When he couldn't, the wolf-dog sighed and sat down on ground with his friends. "You're right. I'm worrying too much", Balto resolved, allowing his head to sink in the snow.

Boris scoffed, and rubbed the hybrid on the head. "My son, when you're a father, and a grandfather, there's no such thing as worrying too much", the old goose replied, before walking away, looking to find something to distract himself with until Dusty's ordeal was over.

Even though he wasn't pacing anymore, Balto still found himself moving restlessly, drumming his paws against the snow subconsciously. Steele and Kaltag caught onto this in no time, and the malamute's eyebrows raised even higher. "I've never seen you like this. Not even during a snowstorm. Why are you so worked up?", Steele mused.

Balto glanced over at the duo, surprised that his old rival would actually care if he had the jitters, but he replied nonetheless. "I've always wondered, was I a good father to my children? Did I do a good enough job preparing them for what the world had in store for them? I wasn't even there when they were born, and I had to say good-bye to them all so quickly. I taught Kodi everything I know about being a sled dog and being a father, but was it enough?", Balto explained.

"Of course it's enough you idiot", Steele replied, frowning before getting up and walking towards Balto. To everyone's surprise, Steele leaned over and pressed his nose directly against Balto's, but the hybrid made no move to move backwards or push the malamute away. Instead he just sat there, staring confusedly into his old rival's dark blue eyes.

"You raised a kid who's not only willing to go to the ends of the Earth for his family, but will put his neck on the line to help someone like me. Yeah sure, he never stops talking, and his 'good boy' ideals are enough to make you sick, but he's one hell of a sled dog, and one hell of a man. And I couldn't have raised him better myself. So I don't wanna see you sitting there, doubting yourself all the time, you hear me wolf-dog?", Steele asked, though as much as he wanted to sound intimidating, he couldn't stop himself from grinning just a little.

Once he realized what Steele was trying to do, he nodded his head slowly, and Steele, clearly satisfied, sat down again in the snow, albeit closer to Balto this time. "Thank you Steele", the hybrid said quietly.

"Don't mention it", the malamute grunted.

"I don't know why I'm so nervous. I've had years to prepare for moments like these. But when I see my kids all grown up with lives their own, my fears always come back that I wasn't the father they needed me to be", Balto explained.

Steele scoffed, and raised his eyebrow at him. "Are you kidding? Your kids idolize you. And why wouldn't they? You taught them how to be brave, how to work together as team, and how to stand up and do the right thing when no else will. All the things you wouldn't expect a wolf to teach his kids. Your son Kodi, he's always trying to look for the best in people, even when they've stopped seeing it a long time ago. He's always so stubborn and optimistic about the 'humanity' in people", Steele said, though he said in a mocking tone, the malamute obviously considered these ideals important himself, since there was also a hint of reverence beneath the sarcasm.

Steele sighed, and to Balto's surprise, he actually made a friendly gesture of patting the hybrid on the back. Steele and Balto hadn't been in any kind of argument since their encounter in White Mountain, but they hadn't exactly been talking to each other for the past two months either. In order to stay on good terms, they had decided to keep their distance from each other, and that's just the way they liked it. So it surprised Balto to see his old enemy being so helpful and encouraging now. And he was sure it pained the malamute to do so.

"So if Kodi's a damn good sled dog, then you're a…a…damn good family man", the black and white dog admitted, forcing himself to swallow his pride and compliment the half-breed he had once considered to be life's greatest thorn in his side. "When I left you alone with Jenna all those years ago, I told you to take good care of her. And you did. You've been a good husband and a great father to her kids. Everything I could never have been. You've had a great life since the last time I saw you Balto, and I'm…I'm proud of you for everything you've done for Jenna and your family", the malamute said under his breath, talking low enough so the other dogs couldn't hear him, but just loud enough for Balto's supersensitive ears to pick it up.

Balto stared at the malamute, speechless, before he cleared his throat. "Um thanks, I never thought I'd hear that coming from you", the hybrid said.

"_Trust me, I never thought I'd hear myself say that either_", Steele thought to himself. "Just don't forget it, cause I'm not saying it again", he grumbled.

"You know, you didn't turn out too bad either", Balto said. As expected, Steele scoffed at Balto's reassuring words, but the half-wolf paid his skepticism no attention, since he was too busy moving his paw towards the dog. The hybrid hesitated, wondering if he was crossing the line and pushing Steele's patience, before deciding to bite the bullet and pat Steele on the back. Unsurprisingly, Steele cringed from his ex-rival's contact, but didn't snap at him or anything.

"You've got an owner, a team, and a mate now. That's not such a bad life. Most dogs would call you lucky", Balto reminded him, grinning when Steele couldn't find a way to counter him this time. "And you shouldn't sell yourself short in the morality department. I know you've made plenty of mistakes in the past, and a lot of people in this town will never be able to forgive you for that, but I'll never forget what you for my family in White Mountain. It takes a mighty big dog to put his feelings aside for the greater good. And it takes an even bigger dog to let go of someone you've loved for so long, just they can be happy. Gunnar wasn't lying when he said you always had the potential to be a hero Steele. So don't going doubting yourself all the time either, eh?", Balto said, mimicking the malamute's 'threat' to him a few minutes before.

And that was how the ice between two old adversaries was broken, while just on the other side of the wall, a man and his wife fought their hardest to bring a new life into the world.

And over two hours later, their efforts paid off, and the rest of their family was finally allowed inside.

"Victoria", Dusty cooed, referring of course to the sleeping ball of fur and fluff that was snuggling up against her stomach for warmth.

"Little Vicky", Kodi said affectionately.

"That's one cute baby", Kirby said, too enchanted by the little one lying before him to mind the sappiness of the words coming out of his mouth.

"Maybe she won't be a slacker like me after all", Ralph admitted.

"She's beautiful son", Balto said, rubbing his son's shoulder with his paw.

"It seems like just yesterday I was becoming a grandfather, now I'm a great-grandfather. I'm not old enough for this kind of stuff yet", Boris mused, joining the circle of canines that surrounded Dusty and his daughter.

"So when do you think the humans will catch the other two?", Griff asked. It turns out Balto had been right after all about Dusty having a litter of pups. Instead of just one daughter, they had had an additional two sons who came before Victoria was born, both of whom wandered off while the doctors overseeing Vicky's birth. Right now, they were probably walking around blindly in the veterinarian's office (since they still couldn't see yet), or seeking shelter behind a desk or underneath a carpet.

"Here they come now", Blake replied, gesturing towards the pair of human doctors who had just walked into the room.

"A pair of little troublemakers, they are", Kaltag said, laughing to himself as he saw how the two pups squirmed in the humans' hands.

"It runs in the family", Jenna added, thinking back fondly to the days when Kodi, Aleu, and the rest of her children would ambush Balto and Boris at the trawler.

"Buck and Spitz won't be that much trouble Dust, they're just…adventurous", Kodi replied, to both his mother and his wife's amusement.

"Kodi, these kids can't even see yet, and they're already sneaking out. How are we ever gonna keep track of them all?", Dusty asked jokingly, as the humans placed her two other pups next to Victoria in the dog bed Dusty was lying in.

"You could always tell them the story about the falling hotel. That'd scare them enough to keep them in their beds at night", Blake suggested. Only a second later, Griff burst out laughing at his boyfriend's joke. And people said _he_ had a sick sense of humor.

Meanwhile, one black and white malamute was being exceptionally quiet while his friends all laughed and congratulated Kodi and Dusty for their new parent statuses (while at the same time offering their sympathy for all the sleepless nights that were ahead of them). Steele leaned over towards Vicky, Buck, and Spitz, and reached his paw towards the little ones. Being as gentle as he could, he nudged little Buck on the head with his paw. However, the feeling of the much larger dog's paw on his head didn't seem to disturb the newborn, or even upset it. Instead, Buck yawned and lifted his tiny paws into the air, feeling around blindly until his little fingers came in contact with Steele's.

The malamute flinched, and for a moment wondered whether or not he should pull away and leave Dusty's kids alone (she was already going through such an emotional moment, he didn't need to add to it by upsetting her children only a few minutes after they were born). But before he could make up his mind to do anything, Buck tried to stand up on his feet, and toppled over onto his side, landing softly on Steele's paw. Worried that he might fall down again, Buck wrapped his mini arms around the nearest solid object, which was Steele's paw, and he proceeded to squeeze and hold onto it as hard as he could.

Now the malamute really didn't know what to do. He was completely uncomfortable with this, but he didn't know what would happen if he shook Buck off him. Why had he even meddled with Kodi and Dusty's kids in the first place? What in his right mind would convince him to try and make contact with something that he usually couldn't stand? And why did he start to like the feeling of Buck hugging his paw? Why did his chest feel a little bit warmer as he saw the happy-go-lucky youth turn to him, the dog that everyone hated, for support against the unknown? And why did he feel some stupid grin spreading across his face as he the puppy started to climb higher onto his hand?

"Aww", Ron said, in a child-like voice.

Steele's head snapped up, and he realized for the first time that everyone else had stopped talking a while ago, and all their eyes were now fixed solely on him. What's more, Kodi and Dusty had surely noticed their kid (who was only lying a few feet away from his mother's stomach) hugging his leg for the past two minutes. This had to be the most humiliating moment in Steele's life (being beat by a wolf-dog in a race was nothing compared to this), but that warm feeling in his…ugh…'heart' just wouldn't go away.

Kaltag, who's smug grin mirrored Steele's, walked up to his lover and threw his arms around the back of his neck. "Well Steele, looks like you're starting to feel what it's like being uncle. Yep, I got all soft and sentimental the first time Kodi and his siblings hugged me too", the tan husky said.

"I'm not…", Steele argued, before Kaltag cut him off.

"Then why is he still holding onto your paw?", Kaltag reminded him, smirking.

Steele, not knowing how to get himself out of the corner he had boxed himself into (growl, blush, shake Buck off his leg, all of things would have been the entirely wrong thing to do), simply closed his mouth, and lowered his eyes, refusing to meet the teasing stares of his friends/frenimies.

"Hey, so the kid likes you, that's nothing to be ashamed of. I'd say the fact the kid actually wants to come near you is an achievement", Kaltag said, his grin softening into a smile. "And admit it, they are cute, aren't they?", he asked.

"I guess they're alright", Steele grumbled, which Kaltag took as a yes.

"Alright Buck, let's get you back to your brothers and sisters. You're making Uncle Steele uncomfortable", Kodi chuckled, picking up his son in his mouth and returning him to his siblings' side.

Even though Steele thought his first reaction to Buck letting go of him would have been a sigh of relief, he actually found himself smiling when Kodi and Kaltag had referred to him as 'uncle Steele'. Kodi and his family actually did consider him a part of their group now (he supposed since some of them were half-wolves, they considered it to be their 'pack'), and they trusted him not to hurt their children. And he was gonna make sure their trust wasn't misplaced. He would never even think of harming something so small and innocent. In just a few minutes, his opinion on children had changed completely.

When he looked at little Buck, he couldn't believe someone could ever be so affectionate. That he could ever have had been so affectionate. Buck had warmed up to him so quickly, the giant who could have done so many horrible things to him (god knows he had hadn't hesitated when it came to hurting others before), but without even knowing him or seeing him Buck had come to consider Steele his friend, maybe even a member of his family.

Most people lost this kind of compassion as they got older, considering it to be foolish or ignorant, or weak, Steele included. But Kodi had retained this optimistic ideal his whole life, and look at the difference he had made in Steele because of it. The new generation had managed to help the old one in a way no one had ever been able to do for it before. And that was why Steele was gonna protect these kids so fiercely. Children were more than just a few cute faces, they were the future. They were the hope for a brighter tomorrow. They had always been, but Steele had been too foolish and self-absorbed to see it earlier.

He may never get to be a father, but Steele was gonna be the best damn uncle he could be, just like how Balto had been the best father to his kids. And if Kodi and Dusty's children did turn the proud old grouch into a big softie, well then, that was just a risk he was gonna have to take. Maybe going soft wouldn't be too bad. Blake and Griff were some of the nicest guys he knew, but were still pretty tough and intimidating when they needed to be. Besides, swallowing one's pride was a small price to pay if it meant getting a chance to see the circle of life unfold before one's eyes.

_**Author's Notes:**_

As you can guess, the name of this chapter and the closing line is a reference to one of the most memorable songs from "_**The Lion King**_" (this fic was all about the generation gap, so the circle of life reference fits). And the date Dusty's pups are born is a homage to "_**Back to the Future**_". November 12, 1955 was the night lightening struck the Hill Valley clocktower and sent Marty McFly back to the year 1985 (coincidentally, today is Oct 27, the same day Marty, Doc, and Clara returned to Hill Valley in Part III).

Well, that's the end. For real this time. I hope you've all enjoyed "_**The Revenge and Redemption of Steele**_". And if you didn't, well at least you guys can't say Kodiwolf and I didn't try our best. Whether you liked it or hated it, feel free to post a review below about your final thoughts on this story (but if you did dislike this fic, please be kind. Reviews are supposed to be civil after all, that's what separates them from flames).

Also, don't turn your mouse away from this story yet. There's still the acknowledgments chapter left. And if you guys look, you just mind find that I mentioned your names in dedication. That Nerd Next Door, Miskey67, Unshippedcorpse, Animation Universe 2005, EthanXPeaches, and Brasta Septim, I'm looking at you guys. And don't think I've forgotten about you either Thomas, this fic wouldn't have been written if it hadn't been for you.


	16. Chapter 16

_**Acknowledgments and Afterthoughts:**_

_**Afterthoughts:**_

Tom, if you're reading this, I'd like thank you one last time for asking me to do a project with you. Even though it was my first collaboration, and it took me forever to get my act together since I didn't know what I was doing (having a writing partner is a totally different experience than writing solo), this actually turned out to be one of my deepest stories since "_**Salvation, Part 1**_".

I mentioned once that I try to give all my stories a purpose (with the exception of a few one-shots, which sole purpose is to try something different and hopefully get a few other readers hooked on the pairing. Who's to say a super soft, plush-cuddly panda can't fall in love with the big bad wolf?). I try to give every one of my stories a certain thought, ideal, or moral that drives the plot. The underlying lesson of "_**Salvation, Part 1**_" and "_**Salvation, Part 2**_" is that life is too short not to take a chance at love. Balto's near death experience during the serum run is what prompts him to ask Jenna the biggest question of his life, and the risk that he takes in that story opens a whole new world of possibilities for the two of them. The moral of "_**Erdan 2**_", though it might be a bit sappy and done a lot in movies, was that your ties to your family are created by your love for them, and not just by blood.

However, "_**The Revenge and Redemption of Steele**_" was the complete opposite of anything I've done so far, and not just because it contains male/male pairings (the fact that there happen to be gay dogs in this story actually doesn't matter that much to the plot. And it certainly doesn't matter to the characters. The fact that Kaltag, Steele and a few of Steele's teammates prefer men over women is just an incidental thing, nothing major, and I'd like to think the lesson of this story would have remained the same even if Steele wasn't a bisexual character).

The moral here is similar to that of "_**Salvation, Part 1**_"'s, it reminds you that life is too short, and that you should make the best of what time you have by being with the ones you love. But what makes it different than "_**Salvation, Part 1**_" is the underlying theme that if you spend you entire life pursuing someone who'll never love you back (essentially waiting for them to 'come to their senses' so the perfect life can fall in your lap) then you'll create a future for yourself with no love in it at all. If any of you, gay or straight, have ever had a crush on someone who didn't love you back (like Jacob's devotion to Bella), then you know what I'm talking about.

There are a lot of subplots in this story. Kodi and Dusty's marital problems, along with the bun in Dusty's oven. Balto and Jenna's heartbreak over their daughter. Steele's grudge against Balto. Roger's desire to keep his promise to his friend (Blake and Griff were the only guys who didn't a subplot in this fic. All their issues were resolved in chapter 2, so by the time Kodi and Dusty meet them their lives are already as great as they hoped it could be). But all those things were just that, subplots. Steele and Kaltag's decisions to let go of the past was what this story was really all about.

The real plot of the story is revealed by the name of the first chapter ("_**One Door Closes, Another One Opens**_"). Even though Steele left Nome in chapter 1, he didn't really let Jenna go, since he still hoped she would 'come around' and fall in love with him the next time she saw him. It wasn't until Kodi came along and showed him how foolish he had been that that he was really able to say good-bye to Jenna Jones, and find love in the most unlikely of people, Kaltag. And just like how Steele's journey to redemption would never have happened if it weren't for Kodi's help, this fic would never have been written if it hadn't been for Kodiwolf321 (I'd already toyed with the idea of Kodi meeting Steele a few times in my head, but it never seemed interesting enough for me to make a whole story out of it. You literally wouldn't be reading this author's note right now if Tom hadn't insisted it was a good idea).

But even though all four of my stories so far have been different and unique in their own way, they do have one thing in common, they all explore different kinds of love. The soon-to-be-completed "_**Salvation**_" trilogy is about growing up with someone and wishing you could be their boyfriend for years before you finally work up the nerve to tell her how you feel (it's kinda like the classic 'girl next door' story, but with dogs and wolves in it instead of people. Not to mention a few canine rapists).

"_**Erdan 2**_" to me was a lot like one of my favorite childhood movies, "_**Bambi II**_". It explores the bond between a father and son, and the undying love a family has for each other, the glue that hold every wolf pack together and makes them as strong as they are. In truth, the hardest chapters for me to write in "_**Erdan 2**_" were the early ones when Erdan hates Zhong. Since I knew just how much the boy and his adoptive father actually cared for each other, it was incredibly difficult for me to write scenes where they were both in pain. The full extent of Erdan's love was tested at the end of that fic, when he (a regular fourteen year old with hardly any kung fu training and only a bow and arrow as a weapon) prepared to risk his own life to bring his family home and keep them safe.

Like I mentioned before, "_**The Revenge and Redemption of Steele**_" explores unrequited love and the effect it can have on someone's future. But I'd have to insane not to mention this part too (no doubt the reason that at least a few you guys were interested in reading this fic). While writing for Balto and Jenna, Kodi and Dusty, and Zhong and Shu were fun, some of my favorite parts of this story was exploring the love a man can have for another man, along with the differences and similarities between heterosexual and homosexual relationships. To be truthful, despite what a lot of people think, there aren't that many differences. There isn't as much 'holding hands', and men a bit rougher with each other than they are with women, but we can gentle and passionate when we want to (hence the scene where Griff hugs Blake and keeps him warm while they sleep).

I was lucky, I was so, so lucky, that out of the chaos that was my summer break this year, Kodiwolf and I managed to come up with a story that combined such a colorful cast of characters. While some only appeared in and out as supporting characters, I liked every one of these guys. They each had their own unique backstory, and you could write an entire fic with just a few of the supporting guys as main characters (Blake and Griff especially, my favorite OCs from this fic).

Even though this is still a Balto story, this fic was mostly about the next generation of sled dogs helping the previous generation, so Balto, Jenna, and their friends only had minor roles in this fic. I had to admit, it felt a bit weird at first. I loved "_**Balto**_", it was such a sad and moving tale, but to tell you the truth, I never quite liked the sequels as much as the first one. It's not that they were boring or anything (Aleu having to say good-bye to her father was actually a very touching scene), but I was never really that interested in Balto and Jenna's kids since we hardly know anything Balto and Jenna in the first place. Which is why my first Balto fic was about how Balto and Jenna met, something I've always been the most curious about in the entire trilogy.

I've got nothing against Kodi and Aleu, they both turn out to be awesome heroes in their own ways, just like their parents. But because we never really find out anything about them, or about what happened to them and their siblings between their childhood and their adult life (bar a few flashbacks in "_**Wings of Change**_" and their parents' expositional conversations), they're still kinda two-dimensional instead of being three-dimensional. And we know even less about Kodi's friends and Aleu's new wolf pack (curse the lack of character development in the sequels! So much stuff is left open for fan assumption). So when Kodiwolf321 asked me if I wanted to help him write a story about Kodi and Dusty, I had to admit I was nervous about stepping out of my element.

I know that part of the reason critics disliked "_**Back to the Future, Part II**_" was Robert Zemeckis and Bob Gale having to include Marty's girlfriend, Jennifer, in the sequel, when they really didn't care about her character, so they just knocked her out in the first five minutes and dumped her off somewhere for the rest of the movie. Personally, I love "_**Back to the Future, Part II**_" even better than the original (sure the future was a bit hokey, but they had flying cars people! Super cool flying cars _and_ hoverboards!), and I know that getting Jennifer out the picture was supposed to help the plot, but it was still a cruel thing to do (Elisabeth Shue had just got the part, and her only role in the two sequels was to be the sleeping beauty). So I was determined to find a part for Dusty to play in this story. I wasn't gonna let her become the Jennifer Jane Parker-McFly of "_**Balto**_".

After talking with Tom about what Kodi and Dusty's relationship would be like, we decided that Dusty would be pregnant with Kodi's pups in this story, which raised the stakes for both Kodi and his future family when they ran into Steele. When we decided that Dusty and Kodi would be married too, I remembered that the first year of marriage is always the hardest for a new couple, and I realized that was what we could do with Kodi and Dusty throughout the fic, present them with challenges to overcome in order to save both their lives and their marriage.

While I struggled with Dusty a lot in the beginning, writing for Kodi was easier, since we learned more about Balto's son through flashbacks, and the values that he and his father share at the end of "_**Wings of Change**_". Kodi is the second main character in this story after Steele, and his purpose in this fic is to basically give the malamute a reality check. He's there to show Steele how he's ruined his own life, and how he'll keep on ruining it if he doesn't change his ways. Because Kodi is living proof that Balto and Jenna have moved on, while he's just stayed the same since the serum run, which is why he's miserable.

You may have noticed that Kodi never seemed that bothered by Blake and Griff being a couple (though his friends Kirby and Ralph were a little alarmed), or even his uncle having a thing for Steele. I've always pictured Balto as being an open-minded guy. After all, being half-wolf he knows the damage that a town's prejudices can cause, so I speculated that he probably raised his children to be open-minded too. Which is why Kodi is actually something of a matchmaker in the final chapters, persuading Kaltag to come clean with Steele about how he loves him, and even arranging a date for Blake and Griff when they return to Nome.

Speaking of Steele, like I mentioned before, I've always wanted to play with Steele's character, but I've never had a chance to until now. But instead of having him try to hide his shame, I thought it would be more interesting if Steele had no shame so to speak, and liked to go around getting stuff started by hooking up with his teammates (I thought it added an extra layer of hypocrisy to his character, that he doesn't mind kissing guys, but he hates wolf-dogs).

Since Balto and his friends had only minor roles in this fic, I was worried that Kaltag's relationship with Steele might seem a bit rushed towards the end, but I found a way around that by hinting at their past together early on (Steele's tongue-in-cheek remark about how Kaltag really became his right-hand man), having Kaltag confess to Kodi in chapter 4, and then explaining their entire history in chapter 13. Hopefully people will read this story, will be inspired to write more fics with Kaltag/Steele fics in them the future (I certainly wouldn't mind reading a good story about Steele and his second-in-command. Surely I'm not the only one who thinks that pairing deserves a least a few fics too, just like Balto/Steele?).

Another unlikely couple in this fic is Blake and Griff. Even though they're only supporting characters here, they were the first gay couple I ever wrote for, and I think I love these guys now. I've already explained their fire and ice relationship, with Griff being the hotheaded one and Blake being the more rational-thinker. But like Kodi, they had another purpose in this fic besides providing exposition. Just like how Kodi helps Steele turn his life around, Blake and Griff help Kodi and Dusty to stay strong during a catastrophe and help them get past the worries and doubts that have been eating away at them since they left Nome. Just like Kodi and Steele, their characters evolve throughout the fic.

When you first meet Griff in 1926, he's a complete asshole, and that's putting it nicely. He's a homophobic jerk who insists on picking on dogs who are way smaller than his own size. In a way, Steele really did do him a favor by outing him to his teammates, and sending him right into the arms of his future lover. By the time Kodi and Dusty meet Griff three years later, the former bully is a much kinder dog. Sure, he still has that short-temper from his days as a brawler, but he also shows real compassion for Steele and Kodi later on, along with a determination to find his mate that matches Kodi's.

If you notice, when we get to the year 1929 Griff doesn't swear nearly as much as he used to (though he occasionally says 'fag' and 'queer' out of habit). You can assume that Blake helped him to clean up his language over the years, and that Griff doesn't curse that much anymore because he doesn't feel the need to (he's a much happier, carefree guy now). Though his old sense of humor hasn't changed that much. Griff's a big guy. He knows he's intimidating to people, and that him being gay makes some people uncomfortable too (a double whammy of fear. You don't know whether to worry about him hitting you or hitting on you. Of course, if you know him well enough, you'll know he won't do either), so sometimes he can't resist using that for a good laugh (ah Kirby. He was so close to having a stroke that day).

Blake changed too. He went from being this outspoken rookie, who was terrified to stand up for himself, to a strong hero in his own right, whose' faith in his lover convinces Dusty to keep her hope alive. I wasn't lying earlier when I said you could write a whole fic with these two as main characters, there's a lot of their history that was left unexplained since I had to skip three years into the future, maybe I'll return to that someday (but not anytime soon. I have enough projects lined up already).

And finally, there was that Aleu stuff. I'm not even sure if that was in the original draft of the script. But I felt it was a problem I needed to address in this fic. I always found it weird that Balto and Jenna lost their daughter (and Jenna never even got to say good-bye to her), and a few months later they seemed just as happy and cheerful as ever, like Aleu's departure had no effect on them at all. Of course, that was because the filmmakers didn't want the third movie to be all sad and depressing, but when you watch it for the first time, it does make you feel like Balto and Jenna don't care that they'll never see their daughter again. So I felt that if I was gonna do a fic about Balto's children, I needed to take care of that problem (not just to make the fic believable to my readers, but to myself as well), even if it was just a few paragraphs. Which led to me introducing another OC, a wolf named Bane. Bane and his pack were actually inspired by some of Cyberwulfe's (a 90s fanfic author) old stories. Bane is reminiscent of Balto's cousin/pack brother, Kemo, who appears throughout Cyberwulfe's fics from "_**Reunion**_" onwards. Kemo was one of my favorite characters in Cyberwulfe's stories (he was wise, brooding, and had a sour attitude, my kind of OC), so it only felt right to pay homage to him here.

Well, that pretty much covers everything I wanted to tell you about how "_**The Revenge and Redemption of Steele**_" was written. I know I tend to babble on a lot about stuff that you guys probably don't care about, but that's because there's a lot stuff on my mind that I feel needs to be said. Like my rant on chapter 9 about how people should be free to express their own stories and ideas. For those of you who actually agreed with some of my opinions about certain things, be you gay yourself or straight (but really open-minded), I've written down a few of my thoughts on my userpage. It's just some basic stuff. Like who my friends are here, what my favorite movies are, my favorite TV shows, my favorite music, my thoughts on homosexuality and masculinity, their effect on human society, the increasing number of slash fics on this site, and how "_**SWAT Kats: The Radical Squadron**_" singlehandedly convinced me that cartoon characters can be just as hot as real people. My profile is often where I go on days I'm feeling introspective, to write down stuff I don't want to forget, in hopes that someone like me will read it someday and it'll help them somehow.

Anyway, written below are my acknowledgments, a collection of thank you notes to the people who supported me and Thomas throughout this project.

_**Acknowledgments:**_

* _**Kodiwolf321**_ - Tom, you and I have been friends ever since I first started posting my stories on this site a year ago. When you reviewed my first story last year, it was an enormous honor, and I told you that someday I would return the favor. Working on this project with you, even though it was chaotic sometimes (especially during the summer months), has been my pleasure. Taking into account another writer's opinions and mixing their ideas with your own is a whole world away from working alone, and I liked it more than I thought I would. Sometimes it's good to have a writing partner to tell you when you're doing too much or too little with an idea. My friend, I wish you the best of luck with all your other fics and collaborations, and if you ever want me to review a story of yours, don't be afraid to ask.

* _**Animation Universe 2005**_ - This is the fourth fic of mine you've read and reviewed, and this was the one that was the polar opposite of all the others. I have to admit, when you told me you were interested in some of my other slash fics (below M-rating of course), I was surprised. After all, there are only three reasons a straight guy would read a fanfic with gay _and_ straight pairings in it. One, they're really curious about what the story is about. Two, they're really open-minded and aren't that bothered by guys kissing (luckily, this fic doesn't describe anyone going any further than second base, haha). Or three, they're a really good friend. My guess is that you're all three. Either way, I have the utmost thanks for you too. I know I've kept you and a bunch of other people waiting for those KFP fics (it's been months now, and Zhong still hasn't got that slash fic with Po yet), but I only have "_**Salvation, Part 3**_" left to go before I can turn my attention to the KFP category again. So don't worry, I'm getting there.

* _**That Nerd Next Door**_ - When I first started posting this fic, you said it was cool to meet another openly gay author, and I can say the same about you TND (and it was even cooler meeting someone who liked "_**Back to the Future**_"). After all, I joined this site for a number of reasons, sharing my stories with others was one of them, and meeting new friends was the other (and I've met some really cool people in the past year, AniUniverse and Kodiwolf included). So from one self-proclaimed nerd to another, I hope someday you'll find another one of my stories that you'll be interested in (I'm gonna be writing for all different kinds of categories next year, including the one I'm most excited about, "_**The Adventures of Tintin**_"), and I'll see your name on my list of reviews again.

* _**Unshippedcorpse**_ - This has been one crazy story. Some chapters were short and some were incredibly long. Some involved Kodi and Dusty talking about their relationship, while others were about Blake and Griff trying to help out their friends. One of those chapters even dropped a hotel on our leading dogs. So bro, it means a lot to me that you've taken time out of your day (and apparently night) for the past two months to keep reading. I know what you mean about there not being a lot of collaboration fics in the Balto category. Come to think of it, there aren't that many fics in general in the Balto category (only 300 or so). A small number of stories for a movie that had a small number of fans. Hopefully all that will change someday. P.S. I just might use that FUBAR phrase you taught me in the future. So thanks in advance for that.

* _**EthanXPeaches**_ - Like I told you in my PM, this story couldn't feature any kind of sex without running the risk of it overshadowing the rest of the story (if there was sex here, what would this fic be remembered for? The story where Steele helped Balto's son, or the story where Steele got it on with his old right-hand man?). And Tom and I loved this story way too much to take that risk. But someday (sooner than you might think), I will start writing M-rated fics as well as T-rated ones. One-shots for categories such as "_**Balto**_", "_**Kung Fu Panda**_", "_**SWAT Kats: The Radical Squadron**_", "_**The Twilight Saga**_", and "_**The Adventures of Tintin**_". And maybe someday I will revisit this fic and describe Kaltag and Steele's first time in detail, along with some other scenes that were too long or too distracting to be included in the final draft. It would be a collection of one-shots centering around Steele & Kaltag, and Blake & Griff, and each one would be a prequel/midquel to this story. But those stories won't be written anytime soon (most likely not until summer next year). So I hope you'll still be on this site by then (people here just keep disappearing for some reason).

* _**Brasta Septim**_ - So Brasta, how did you like this story? I'm curious about your opinion. Steele's gone through quite a journey in this story (from malicious bad guy, to bitter anti-hero, to lonely good guy), but is he a likeable guy now, or still a jerk? Do the gay and straight pairings still work well together? (you're one of the few people who've commented on that). And I hope I wasn't too cruel with all the cliffhangers throughout this story.

* _**Miskey67**_ - I'm curious about your opinion too. And I'm sure Thomas is as well. Like I've mentioned before, it's always nice to have another writer's support. So thanks for commenting on and following this long, crazy ride. But I can't help but wonder, what were some of your likes and dislikes about this story? Anything in particular stand out? I don't mean to pry or anything, but hearing about someone's favorite parts of a story is what I love most about a review.

Before I go, I'd also like to thank all my friends and family (who were, as always, supportive of my pastime), as well as the guys who followed and/or favorited this fic. Oh, and thanks to all the people who reviewed chapters 1 and 2 (like 1Past and Present1). I know this story wasn't the kind for you, but I hope you all did find one that you liked (I didn't really mind the constructive criticism, there were a few things that needed fix). And as for you people who read this fic from beginning to end, hopefully this story will not only get you interested in different kinds of Balto fics, but in some of mine and Thomas' other tales as well.

I'm off to work some more on "_**Salvation, Part 3**_" now (by the time you read this message, I'll have already posted the first few chapters, finally!), and I'm sure Tom is cooking up some mad idea for a story or song too. So until next time, this is the Cool Kat, signing off.


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